May 7th, 2010
06:06 PM ET

All-clear given in Times Square scare

Police have blocked off parts of Times Square and evacuated people because of a suspicious cooler left in Times Square.

[Updated at 6:06 p.m.] Read the full CNN.com story

[Updated at 2:32 p.m.] Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York acknowledged after that incident that terrorists have targeted New York.

"We have to take every precaution, as you know, because we remain a prime target for terrorists," he said. "That's something all New Yorkers understand and it's something that we need Washington to understand as well."

"We will continue to doing everything we possibly can to protect New Yorkers from terrorist attacks. We have, as you know, built the most comprehensive and sophisticated counter terrorism operation of any local police force in the world."

[Updated at 2:24 p.m.] An all-clear was declared Friday after authorities investigated a suspicious package left in front of a hotel in Times Square and determined that it contained water bottles, police said.

[Updated at 2:10 p.m.] The New York Police Department has deployed a robot to X-ray the cooler that was abandoned in front of the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square, police told CNN's Susan Candiotti.

[Updated at 2:15 p.m.] A bomb squad robot has completed its X-ray of the suspicious cooler left in Times Square, CNN's Susan Candiotti reported. But, the results were inconclusive.

Members of the bomb squad are now suiting up to get a closer look.

iReport.com: Are you there? Send photos, videos

iReport.com: See photos from Times Square

Watch CNN.com live stream

[Updated at 2:01 p.m.] CNN's Ali Velshi who is on 47th Street and Broadway reports: "Times Square is entirely empty" on certain blocks.

[Updated at 1:58 p.m.] Kathy Duffy, who is in her office at the Marriott Marquis hotel, told CNN the Times Square Alliance said there was an abandoned cooler left outside. Duffy said officials told her that the bomb squad was trying to determine if it was a threat. She said that the hotel has not been told to evacuate.

[Updated at 1:51 p.m.] A spokesman for the Times Square Alliance says, according to the NYPD, the following streets are closed:

  • East bound on 46th Street from 8th Ave
  • West bound on 45th Street from 6th Ave.
  • And the Broadway and 7th Avenue plaza between 44th and 47th.
  • 44th and 47th Streets themselves are not closed.

[Updated at 1:45 p.m.] The suspicious package that prompted evacuations in New York's Times Square is a white cooler that was left near the front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, police told CNN.

The area is not far from where Faisal Shahzad left his SUV that had explosives in it.

People were evacuated from the streets of Times Square after a report of a suspicious package.

[Posted at 1:24 p.m.] Times Square has been evacuated after a suspicious package was found near 45th street, a New York Police Department official said.

The package was found near 45th Street and Broadway, officials said.

The evacuation comes six days after an SUV with explosives was left in Times Square resulting in the arrest of Faisal Shahzad.

This story is developing. We'll bring you the latest information as we get it.

 Post by:
Filed under: Times Square
soundoff (1,087 Responses)
  1. Raul

    By the way Aaron and exodus, i am an american indian just like there are African Americans...who are americans. Or a latino who was born and raised in US. So you could talk all about India you like...i am concerned about my country US where i was born and raised.

    May 7, 2010 at 3:37 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Irene

    Hear, hear comment 1057. See my comment 907.

    May 7, 2010 at 3:39 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Aaron

    "I would give my life to protect a non-fanatic muslim. When i say muslims i refer to the muslim nations who back them and the many muslims in those countries who are not in the forefront by support these terrorists financially etc. "

    Raul, this distinction is crucial if you want your point to be taken seriously. You did not make a separation between "Muslim" and "terrorist" before. In addition, I will reiterate, this is, on a more fundamental level, a war between cross-sections/types of people than whole religions.

    May 7, 2010 at 3:46 pm | Report abuse |
  4. exodus

    @ Raul? Huh when did we bring in anything about minorities. Again you are trying to incite something? You are the one that brought India in the first place?
    And yes African Indians and Latino Americans don't have the greatest country in the world who thinks is comparable with the US and they don't constantly bring its name into every God named discussions in the forums? We are not at a religious war at these forums.
    And as I told you if there is really a talk of religion then Abrahamic religions have been going to war since centuries and yes an act of terrorism is vile whether new or old!

    May 7, 2010 at 3:52 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Aaron

    @exodus – I completely agree.

    May 7, 2010 at 3:53 pm | Report abuse |
  6. ANONYMOUS

    RAUL –

    Why doesn't india get out of Kashmir? Why are Kashmiris terrorized on a daily basis.

    All of my fellow Americans go google Indian army killing kashmiris.

    I am tired of all these foreighners siding with us like they are our friends but in reality they just want us to kill their "enemies" aka pakistanis and other muslims.

    May 7, 2010 at 3:55 pm | Report abuse |
  7. ANONYMOUS

    RAUL AKA SANJAY GUPTA – do you not have anything better to do....

    im jst playing. 😛

    May 7, 2010 at 3:58 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Adolf

    raul, i'm been mistaken, i should have gone after you....

    May 7, 2010 at 4:10 pm | Report abuse |
  9. exodus

    @Aaron- Great minds think alike!
    @ Raul- Its a little weird how you suddenly switched sides and also your opinion.Makes me doubt your integrity. When it didn't go your way you trimmed the statement entirely?
    Anyways everyones safe!
    God Bless America always and may we always remain the best in the world despite certain people always misleading us taking advantage of our humbleness and generosity to fulfil their own nationa/individual goals!
    And yes we do need to look at some non muslim country for WMDs for a change?

    May 7, 2010 at 4:15 pm | Report abuse |
  10. ANONYMOUS

    God bless America, have a nice day everyone!

    May 7, 2010 at 4:42 pm | Report abuse |
  11. bastianblogg

    Our goverment is keeping us safe.

    Hopfully they will be able to do this job tomorrow too.

    I love the US and our freedom.

    We will never surrender to terror.

    http://bastianblogg.wordpress.com/american-dream/

    May 7, 2010 at 4:54 pm | Report abuse |
  12. chris

    I don't think it's paranoia at all. As a Canadian (I love NYC, it's awesome) I currently live in Calgary, we had a bomb scare downtown a day after the SUV incident in NY. Everyone was on high alert. During this time, we have every right to protect our city & the people within it. I would rather something harmless be checked out than something potentially catastrophic be overlooked. To all the police & peoples who do their job well, thank you.

    May 7, 2010 at 7:42 pm | Report abuse |
  13. cookie

    The most recent so called plots of terrorism are what I feel to be a not so subtle downplay of the terrorist cartel intelligence. These are in my opinion actually plots to undermine the abilities of those who do intend to do harm. Come on total blunders.. no this is a conscious determination to make us comfortable, secure that the terrorist are dumb, incapable, untrained, and inept. Once they have achieved that view then the imminent boom is real, and does explode and harm many. It is all a ruse.

    May 7, 2010 at 8:21 pm | Report abuse |
  14. USACitizenJames

    OMG!!! Paranoia or what?
    Since when did NYkers get so whimpish?

    A cooler? C'mon... gimme a break NY!

    May 8, 2010 at 1:13 am | Report abuse |
  15. Christie

    in response to MYBAD. I dont appreciate the run forest run comment. I was locked in the bubba gump shrimp co. on may 1St during the attempted or failed car bombing which ever you would like to label it. This cooler turned out to be nothing today thank god. did you know that shazhad parked a white suv as a trail run on april 31st. That no one noticed. I am happy to still be here. So I believe better safe then sorry.By the way its not paranoia when someone is out to get you. Just remember enjoy each day and always remeber to say I Love You

    May 8, 2010 at 3:45 am | Report abuse |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73
« Back to main