A suspicious package was found at New York City's LaGuardia Airport Tuesday, leading to the evacuation of its central terminal. The New York City Police Department's bomb squad and the Emergency Services Unit of the Port Authority Police Department responded to the scene.
LaGuardia airport was evacuated a little before 11 AM EDT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop, forbidding flights for short period of time.
Photographs of hundreds of people evacuating LaGuardia Airport were posted on Twitter. Passengers were approved to return to the evacuated terminal, Terminal D, once FAA officials gave the go-ahead after about 45 minutes.
Since the Boston Marathon bombing Monday, New York City was put into a state of high alert. Two explosions went off during the race and left three people dead and injured 176 victims. A third explosion was reported several miles away from the marathon's finish line about an hour after the first two occurred. Boston police officials did not say if it was related to the incident. One of the victims who died as a result of the explosion was an 8-year-old boy and the number of reported injuries continues to rise.
As Fox News reported, President Obama and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are classifying the Boston bombing as an act of terror.
"Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror," President Obama said Tuesday morning.
New York City officials are taking precautions to keep the population safe: bomb-sniffing dogs checked major airports yesterday, including LaGuardia and JFK. Police presence was increased throughout the city, particularly at the city's landmarks. New York City residents can expect to see more police officers at places such as Times Square, the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station.
