JFK Airport Evacuation: Suspicious Package Turned Out To Be Toothpaste

A JFK Airport evacuation was ordered Sunday after a suspicious package was reported to authorities.

Terminal 4 of New York’s busiest airport was briefly cleared of passengers and staff as authorities sought to identify the contents of a suspect item. Officials later revealed the package was a tube of toothpaste wrapped in duct tape.

Chris Valens, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, told Reuters the package was found shortly after 4pm EST in the baggage room area of Concourse B in Terminal 4.

Officer James Duffy of the New York Police Department bomb squad confirmed: “We determined that it only contained toothpaste.”

The JFK Airport evacuation lasted for around 90 minutes before the terminal was reopened.

The evacuation comes at a tense time for the country. On Monday, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 170. It was also confirmed this week that suspicious letters addressed to President Barack Obama and Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi had tested positive for the deadly poison ricin.

Were you present at the scene of the JFK Airport evacuation, or do you know somebody who was affected by the incident? Let us know in the comments!

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