US

Intruder prompts White House evacuation

President Obama and his daughters had left the White House minutes before alert issued

A US secret service agent with an automatic rifle instructs people to evacuate the White House complex moments after US President Barack Obama and his family left for the presidential retreat, Camp David, in Maryland, last night. White House staff and reporters were evacuated because an intruder was spotted running on the grounds of the complex shortly after Mr Obama had left the building, witnesses said. Photograph: Larry Downing/Reuters
A US secret service agent with an automatic rifle instructs people to evacuate the White House complex moments after US President Barack Obama and his family left for the presidential retreat, Camp David, in Maryland, last night. White House staff and reporters were evacuated because an intruder was spotted running on the grounds of the complex shortly after Mr Obama had left the building, witnesses said. Photograph: Larry Downing/Reuters
Sat Sept 20 2014 - 08:19

A man jumped over the White House fence and ran for several seconds towards the executive mansion last night, sparking an evacuation within the complex shortly after President Barack Obama and his daughters departed for the weekend.

Journalists and staff were allowed back on to the grounds some time later but a partial lockdown of the northwest side of the building remained in place.

Video showed the intruder running across the White House lawn toward the president’s residence.

A US secret service spokesman said the man had been apprehended but declined further comment.

READ MORE

Mr Obama and his daughters had left the White House beforehand, departing on board the Marine One helicopter for Camp David, the presidential retreat in nearby Maryland.

Shortly thereafter, the intruder successfully got on to the grounds, and uniformed secret service personnel ordered the press corps and members of the White House staff to evacuate.