Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was evacuated by the Secret Service from an event at Dunbar High School, in Northwest Washington, DC, on Tuesday due to a bomb threat.
A Secret Service agent told Emhoff “we have to go” while he was participating in an event at Dunbar High School marking the Month of Black History. This was followed by an announcement throughout the school, saying that the teachers should evacuate everyone from the premises.
Emhoff is safe, as is than others who were at the scene, according to DC police and Emhoff’s office.
Secret Service got Emhoff out of the building at 2: 18 pm, and Emhoff staff told reporters attending the event that the school had reported a threat to the US Secret Service
An announcement came over the intercom at 2: 34 pm asking the teachers to evacuate the school and the reporters also left. The second gentleman’s office confirmed that he was quickly removed from the building because of the bomb threat. Police in DC responded and was on site.
The students, who were in fourth period at the time, gathered on the field and the The school was evacuated while authorities search the campus for explosives.
DC Public Schools Press Secretary Enrique Gutiérrez confirmed that there was a bomb threat and that everyone was safe.
“We had a threat to the facility today, so we basically took the precaution of evacuating everyone, as you saw. I think everyone is safe. The building is clear. But I don’t have specific details at this time,” Gutierrez told reporters.
Dunbar Principal Nadine Smith told reporters that The school district directed the high school to send students home after the building was cleared.
Emhoff was visiting the Dunbar High School Museum of Dunbar History for a Black History Month event. The school, founded in 1870, was the first public high school in the United States specifically for African American students.
Vice President Kamala Harris was not at the event.
The students were sent home, but the teachers remained on the soccer field after 3: 45 pm while the police dogs were searching the building.
DC Police said the investigation at the school was over and all streets were reopened. No hazardous materials were found, according to DC Police spokeswoman Kristen Metzger
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