White House briefly locked down after phone thrown over fence; secret service responds swiftly

What caused the White House lockdown? A tossed phone, says press secretary.

The White House was briefly put under lockdown on Tuesday after someone threw a mobile phone over the North Lawn fence, prompting immediate action from the US Secret Service.

The incident occurred around midday, triggering a full lockdown of the White House grounds. Secret Service agents quickly secured the area and temporarily shut down Pennsylvania Avenue to traffic.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed to reporters that 'somebody threw their phone over the fence,' which led to the heightened security response.

Photos shared on social media showed officers stationed outside the White House as the area was cordoned off.

At the time of the incident, journalists were gathered near the North Lawn awaiting Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s scheduled appearance on Fox News. They were promptly escorted into the James S. Brady Briefing Room as a precaution.

The lockdown was lifted by 11:56 AM (local time), and members of the press were allowed back onto the North Lawn. By 12:20 PM, they had reassembled in the Palm Room, just ahead of President Donald Trump’s departure for an event in Pennsylvania.

No injuries were reported, and the White House has not released an official statement about the breach.

This isn't the first unusual security incident at the White House this year. A few months ago, a child managed to slip through the North Lawn fence. “Officers quickly reunited the child with their parents without incident,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi had said at the time.