CNN employees have returned to the office in New York after they were evacuated on Thursday night due to a bomb threat in nearby Columbus Circle.
“Update: NYPD has given the all clear for employees to return to the building at CNN Headquarters in NY,” CNN Communications tweeted on Thursday night.
Around 10:35 p.m. a telephone threat came in to the Time Warner Building, with the caller claiming there were five bombs in the building, a police official from the NYPD told The Hollywood Reporter. The police were informed by security officers, who evacuated the building as a precaution.
Police and fire department trucks blocked all vehicle and pedestrian traffic on West 58th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue, where the Time Warner Center is located, due to the investigation, according to the NYPD’s Twitter.
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CNN Tonight with Don Lemon was on air when the threat came in, with Lemon confirming that his guests and crew were evacuated and had to cease taping.
We were evacuated in the middle of my live show. Bomb threat. We’re running taped programming. NYPD is investigating. Stay tuned. #cnn #nypd
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) December 7, 2018
Lemon later reported outside of the offices to provide details on the investigation.
“Immediately the alarm went off and we were told to evacuate the building and to do it as soon as possible. We grabbed what we could and now we’re standing outside of the building,” he told CNN Tonight via phone.
.@donlemon reports from outside CNN’s New York offices after an evacuation was ordered due to a phoned bomb threat https://t.co/fR31rrQtzZ pic.twitter.com/UXtFWuxreR
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) December 7, 2018
Meanwhile, CNN host Chris Cuomo offered an update on his Twitter, writing that everyone was “reported fine” after being ordered to leave the building. “Thanks for all the well-wishing, but even more so for not making stupid jokes empowering such a threat. People will re-enter ASAP. Onward,” he tweeted.
CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter provided details of the evacuation on Twitter, revealing that CNN aired taped programming in the wake of the evacuation.
The NYPD is investigating a bomb threat near CNN NYC’s office at Columbus Circle. Due to the threat, the office has been evacuated. Right now CNN is airing taped programming due to the disruption.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 7, 2018
The threat arrived less than an hour after President Donald Trump tweeted about “FAKE NEWS,” which he has often labeled CNN as.
It is unclear whether the threat was directed toward CNN or another nearby location.
