An unattended suitcase was found in a bathroom at Howard University Hospital Friday morning, prompting hospital officials to call DC police, according to a hospital spokesperson. No one was permitted to enter the hospital while authorities examined the suitcase, which was found to be harmless. No patients were evacuated.
News of a lockdown or possible evacuation at Howard spread through social media on a day when an unprecedented manhunt in Boston has Washington residents on heightened alert. The Howard spokesman, Ron Harris, said there was no connection between the suspicious package found in the hospital and the events unfolding in Boston.
The unattended suitcase was spotted around 10 AM Friday morning by the head of hospital security, Harris said. The all-clear was given at 12:55 PM.
