RNC headquarters locked down after 'vials of blood' addressed to Trump discovered

22 May 2024

The hazardous materials team from the United States Capitol Police Department is responding to a "suspicious package" sent to the Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters on Wednesday morning that reportedly contained "vials of blood."

NBC News' Dasha Burns tweeted Wednesday morning that the RNC building in Washington, D.C. was "on lockdown until further notice" while the Capitol Police investigated. Two vials of blood were found at the scene, which were recovered by the Capitol Police's Hazardous Incident Response Division. A suspect and motive are still unknown as of Wednesday morning.

Rep. Rich Hudson (R-North Carolina) confirmed to Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman that the discovery of the blood in the package is what prompted the lockdown.

"[A] suspicious package was delivered to RNC this morning. Per protocol and out of abundance of caution they called hazmat and can’t open until they can fully clear the package," Hudson told Sherman. "NBC News is reporting a vial of blood was part of the package but I don’t have any other details to share at this time. The building is closed until the package is cleared."

The Associated Press reported that the package was addressed to former President Donald Trump, "according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak about it publicly." That source couldn't confirm whether a separate message to Trump was included with the vials of blood.

According to NBC, roads to and from the RNC headquarters have since been reopened to traffic and the Capitol Police left the scene later Wednesday morning. Journalist Kyle Becker tweeted that three sources confirmed to NBC that the vials broke open, but no injuries have so far been reported.

Video shot by a bystander confirms that the block adjacent to the RNC headquarters was locked down by Capitol Police. Officers blocked off the area with yellow crime scene tape and Capitol Police cars were seen surrounding the area while the investigation was being conducted.

The package containing vials of blood is the latest instance of a threat to the RNC building in which a perpetrator has not yet been apprehended. Prior to the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, a pipe bomb was left outside of the RNC headquarters, though it never detonated. A pipe bomb was also left outside of the Democratic National Committee building the same day. The FBI is offering a $500,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the still-unknown perpetrator.

"Although these bombs did not detonate, it is important to remember the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill just blocks from the U.S. Capitol with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders," the FBI stated in a press release. "Moreover, the suspect may still pose a danger to the public or themselves."

David Sundberg, who is the assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said that various tips called in "have helped us advance the investigation," and encouraged Americans "to continue to assist us by taking a fresh look at our Seeking Information webpage , which includes images and video of the suspect, the suspect’s backpack, the suspect’s shoes, the explosive devices, and a map of the route the suspect walked the night the pipe bombs were placed."

"We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward or who may not have realized they had important information to contact us and share anything relevant," Sundberg added.

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