Times Square Evacuated May 7 Due to Suspicious Package - Update

Update: 11:19am PST

The package has now been removed and Times Square has been reopened to pedestrians and vehicles after about one hour of being evacuated. 

The package was discovered to be a soft-sided lunchbox that contained some books and a water bottle.

Police have stated they were not going to take any chances and acted in the correct manner.

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Times Square Evacuation: Suspicious Cooler | Photo 02

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Previous Reporting:

NYPD Have Confirmed They Have Evacuated Times Square May 7

Times Square from 44 to 47 Street has been evacuated at about 1pm on Friday May 7 due to what police are calling a 'suspicious package' that has been found in the Square at 46 and Broadway. The package is said to be in a cooler and was found in front of a hotel. 

It has now been confirmed there there were in fact two 'suspicious' packages reported in Times Square, one from what police think may think have been a reaction to the first package reported. The second package has been cleared away safely. The first is in the process of being removed.

Suspicious packages in Times Square are not abnormal but due to the nature of this package and the timing police were on full alert and the bomb squad was also called right away. NYPD are taking no chances with any packages that may be left in the Square, especially as the famous district was almost the scene of disaster about a week ago.

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No buildings have been evacuated at this time but all tourists and residents on the streets have been removed from Times Square.

Media are calling it 'not an extreme emergency', but no one is being allowed through and many streets are closed around the area. Traffic is a nightmare around those streets at this time.

This comes almost one week after Faisal Shahzad left a SUV containing explosives in Times Square in an attempt to detonate a bomb. He has since been apprehended and been charged with terrorism.