New York City police temporarily shut down several blocks of Midtown East on Monday afternoon after an unattended black suitcase was found on a sidewalk just two avenues from the United Nations Headquarters, where scores of world leaders were gathered for the General Assembly.
An NYPD canine alerted to something inside the suitcase shortly before 3 p.m. at the corner of East 43rd Street and Third Avenue, near the Chrysler Building. The department’s Emergency Services Unit responded to block traffic and tape off the area, and the bomb squad was also called to the scene, according to a law enforcement source.
Streets Closed From 42nd to 44th as Investigation Unfolded
Officers closed East 42nd, 43rd, and 44th Streets between Second Avenue and Lexington Avenue while they investigated the package. A nearby building was also evacuated as a precaution. The closure created a significant disruption in one of Manhattan’s busiest corridors during the height of the United Nations General Assembly week, suspicious suitcase near United Nations.
Package Cleared About 90 Minutes After Discovery
Roughly 90 minutes after the suitcase was first discovered, police announced the package had been cleared and was not considered suspicious. Streets were reopened and the evacuation lifted following the all-clear from investigators.
The incident comes during one of the most security-intensive weeks in New York City each year, with heads of state and senior government officials from around the world present at the United Nations complex on the East Side of Manhattan. Authorities have not disclosed what the suitcase contained or who left it on the sidewalk.
