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A Joint Base Andrews spokesperson said several people became ill Thursday after a suspicious package was opened on the base at about 1 p.m.
The base medical teams responded immediately and treated multiple individuals who reported feeling unwell. Officials stated that all patients were in stable condition and were subsequently released.
“As a precaution, the building and connecting building were evacuated, and a cordon was established around the area,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. “Joint Base Andrews first responders were dispatched to the scene, determined there were no immediate threats, and normal operations have resumed. An investigation is currently ongoing.”
Authorities did not say what the package contained or what may have caused the symptoms. The base was briefly placed on lockdown while emergency crews evaluated the situation.
Several people were taken to Malcolm Grow Medical Center on the base for further evaluation.
Joint Base Andrews, located in Maryland, houses Air Force One and other aircraft that provide transport for the president, vice president, and senior United States officials. The base is in Prince George’s County, about 20 miles from the White House, and serves as the home of about 60,000 airmen and their families.
CNN, citing two sources familiar with the investigation, reported that the package contained an unknown white powder. The outlet said Joint Base Andrews first responders found no immediate threat and transferred the scene to the Office of Special Investigations. A HAZMAT team’s initial field test did not detect anything hazardous, but the investigation is still underway, according to one of the sources.
The incident follows a string of recent incidents at U.S. military locations. In August, President Donald Trump reacted to five soldiers who were injured in a shooting at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia, prompting a temporary lockdown of the Army base before the suspect, an active-duty service member, was taken into custody.
“Before we begin, I’d like to say a few words about the shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia,” he said ahead of a press conference with Apple CEO Tim Cook. “As you know, five people were seriously wounded and two very, very seriously hurt around 11 a.m. this morning. The shooter is now in custody.”
He added, “The Army Criminal Investigation division is on site to ensure that the perpetrator of this atrocity, which is exactly what it is, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
