An NYPD bomb squad probed several suspicious packages left outside Trump Tower in New York, shuttering Fifth Avenue to vehicular and pedestrian traffic between East 56th and East 57th streets in doing so. The building is located at the upper portion of the bustling Midtown district.
— Lisa Rozner (@LisaRoznerTV) July 27, 2018
Reports say one of the items, a device was found next to some flowerpots close to a Starbucks cafe on the second floor of the 58-story high-rise inside the atrium.
The packages were dropped sometime during Friday afternoon, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear what the items are or their origin, but the NYPD conducted an investigation nonetheless out of an abundance of caution.
— NYPD Midtown North (@NYPDMTN) July 27, 2018
— Harrison (@Harrisonsmartin) July 27, 2018
President Trump was at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday.
Eyewitnesses report observing both the NYPD's bomb squad and Emergency Services Unit (ESU) on scene, a branch of the Special Operations Bureau that's trained in special weapons and SWAT tactics.
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) July 27, 2018
Later, New York City officials say the so-called suspicious packages were believed to be portable smart phone chargers and gave the "all-clear" to return to business as usual.
