Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff evacuated from DC school visit over security threat
Mr Emhoff’s spokesman said he was safely evacuated from the area following the threat
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Your support makes all the difference.Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff has been evacuated from a school visit in Washington, DC, after a reported security threat.
Mr Emhoff was giving remarks to students from the Carter G Woodson Academy of Black Studies at Dunbar High School when the undisclosed threat was identified at around 2.18pm on Tuesday.
Reporters traveling with the second gentleman described seeing a Secret Service agent whisk him away, saying: “We have to go.” A photographer captured the agent grabbing Mr Emhoff by the arm as he stood in a circle of students.
About 15 minutes later an announcement was made over the intercom at 2.34pm telling teachers to evacuate the building.
A District of Columbia public schools spokesperson, Enrique Guttierez, later said the evacuation was prompted by a bomb threat.
A spokesman for the school said it was unclear if the threat was aimed at Mr Emhoff, the school’s Black History Month event, or both.
Mr Emhoff’s spokesperson said he had been safely removed from the area. All students and staff have also been evacuated safely from the school.
Emhoff evacuated over reported bomb threat
Doug Emhoff was speaking at Dunbar High School when a Secret Service agent whisked him away at 2.18pm on Tuesday.
The White House described the reason for his evacuation as a “security threat”, while a pool reporter traveling with Mr Emhoff described it as a “bomb threat”.
The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg has the latest:
Doug Emhoff evacuated from DC school visit after security threat
The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent.
DC School District spokesman says unclear if bomb threat aimed at Second Gentleman or Black History event
District of Columbia School District spokesperson Enrique Gutierrez reportedly said a bomb threat was made, prompting Secret Service members to whisk Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff away from a Black History month event at a local school. The school was also evacuated.
Mr Gutierrez said it was unclear if the bomb threat was aimed at Mr Emhoff, the Black History event, or both.
High school evacuated after bomb threat is nation’s first public high school for Black students
Dunbar High School, where Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff was participating in a Black History Month event before a bomb threat forced an evacuation, is a historically significant location.
The school was the first public high school for Black students in the US.
A spokesman for the school said it was unclear if the threat was intended for Mr Emhoff, the school, or both.
Press pool report shines some light on school evacuation
The spokesman and principal of Dunbar High School in Washington DC - where a bomb threat forced Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to evacuate - discussed the school’s response to the bomb threat, per reports from the press pool traveling with Mr Emhoff.
“We had a threat today to the facility so we did — basically we took the precaution of evacuating everybody, as you saw. I think everyone is safe. The building is clear. But I don’t have any specific details at this moment,” school spokesman Enrique Gutierrez said.
School principal Nadine Smith said the school’s protocol was to send the students home, but noted it would take some time to clear the entire building.
“Our protocol is to clear the building and move the kids away. DCPS just gave us directions to make sure, to go ahead and send the kids home. We won’t be able to clear the building for probably another hour or two,” she said.
More than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities have received bomb threats in 2022
The bomb threat at Dunbar High School that forced Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to evacuate during a Black History Month event may be part of a more disturbing trend.
Since the start of 2022, 14 historically Black colleges and universities have received bomb threats.
The first wave of bomb threats occurred on 5 January and a second occurred on 1 February.
The schools targeted included Spelman University, Alcorn State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, Jackson State University, Fort Valley State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Tougaloo College, Howard University, Xavier University, the University of the District of Columbia, and Edward Waters University.
Dunbar High School is the first public school built specifically for Black students.
Dunbar High School taped off by police
DC Metropolitan police have taped-off Dunbar High School, where a bomb threat forced Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff as well as the school’s staff and students to evacuate.
Mr Emhoff was participating in a Black History Month event when the threat was made.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says no new detail in Dunbar High School bomb threat
During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she was not aware of new developments concerning a bomb threat that forced Second Gentleman Dough Emhoff to evacuate Dunbar High School during a Black History Month event.
When asked, Ms Psaki said “I don’t have any updates on this” concerning the bomb threat or Mr Emhoff.
Photo of the moment Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is evacuated from Dunbar High School
Members of the press were at Dunbar High School reporting on Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s participation in a Black History Month event and captured the moment Secret Service agents escorted him to safety after a bomb threat was reported by school staff.
The bomb threat was made shortly after 2pm. Secret Service agents told Mr Emhoff “we have to go” and pulled him away from a group of students. The staff and students at the school also evacuated as a result of the threat.
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