UPDATE: All clear given after CNN’s office in New York City was evacuated due to a bomb threat Thursday evening. Read Breitbart News Network’s original report below.
CNN’s New York City office at Columbus Circle is under evacuation Thursday evening as the New York Police Department investigates a bomb threat near the area, according to CNN host Brian Stelter.
Photos shared to social media by Stelter and others show police investigating the alleged threat near the Time Warner Center complex, where CNN’s New York head office is housed.
“Due to a police investigation at Columbus Circle, West 58th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue is closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Please avoid this area. Update to follow,” NYPD Deputy Inspector Mark Iocco tweeted at 10:45 p.m. local time.
Host Don Lemon tweeted that staffers were evacuated from the premises during his live program.
TheWrap’s Jon Levine shared a clip of the moment Lemon’s program abruptly went to break due to the threat. When programming returned, a taped version of Anderson 360 began broadcasting.
Reacting to the threat, CNN’s Chris Cuomo said that everyone was “fine” despite the evacuation. “Thanks for all the well-wishing, but even more so for not making stupid jokes empowering such a threat. People will re-enter ASAP. Onward,” he tweeted.
CNN released the following statement regarding the incident: “There has been a bomb threat phoned into the CNN offices in NY. Employees have been evacuated and the NYPD is investigating. More info to follow as it becomes available.”
Using Stelter’s iPhone to broadcast live, he and Lemon reported on the unfolding event outside CNN’s evacuated offices.
Two NYPD officers told BuzzFeed that the bomb threat was phoned in exactly one minute before President Trump tweeted: “FAKE NEWS – THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!”
In October, CNN’s New York headquarters was evacuated after a package containing a crude pipe bomb, which was addressed to ex-Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief John Brennan, was found.