Topline
Two buildings at Joint Base Andrews were evacuated and several people at the facility fell ill and were taken to hospitals on Thursday, according to multiple reports, after a “suspicious package” was delivered to the military air base located outside Washington D.C., which the President and other prominent U.S. officials often use.
File Photo: Joint Base Andrews is home to the military wing that flies Air Force One.
Getty Images
Key Facts
Citing a Joint Base Andrews statement, CNN reported that an individual inside a building at the facility “opened a suspicious package,” prompting authorities to evacuate the building and a connecting building “as a precaution.”
The statement added that a “cordon was established around the area,” and the bases’ first responders were dispatched to the scene but determined there were “no immediate threats.”
According to CBS News, the evacuations took place around 1 p.m. ET on Thursday.
An Air Force spokesperson told Axios that multiple people had fallen ill after the package was opened and they were “evaluated and treated by JBA medical personnel, determined to be in stable condition and released today.”
Authorities have opened an investigation into the matter, the statement said.
What Do We Know About The Suspicious Package?
Citing unnamed sources, CNN reported that the “suspicious package” contained an “unknown white powder.” The report also noted that investigators were also “assessing political propaganda that was included in the package,” without specifying any details about the purported propaganda. Several people who were exposed to the package were reportedly taken to the Malcolm Grove Medical Center, which is located inside the base. A HAZMAT team, which examined the area, did not detect any hazardous materials, the report added.