Watch CBS News

Party balloons trigger brief White House lockdown

The White House underwent a short-lived lockdown Sunday afternoon.

The culprit: A couple of party balloons.

A U.S. Secret Service representative told CBS News that some party balloons had drifted over the White House complex. A couple balloons landed on the property and prompted a lockdown that lasted a few minutes.

The incident comes just days after authorities shut down the White House when a U.S. Secret Service agent shot an armed man near the executive mansion. The suspect, who had walked up to a White House security checkpoint carrying a pistol, was immediately taken into custody Friday.

President Obama was not at the executive mansion at the time of Sunday's lockdown. He is on a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam.

CBS News' Jillian Hughes contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.