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Lobby of Trump Tower Evacuated Over Suspicious Bag, Later Deemed Safe

The lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan was evacuated Tuesday afternoon over a suspicious bag that was later found to contain children’s toys.
Visitors to Trump Tower run during an evacuation by the New York Police Department, Dec. 27. The suspicious bag that prompted it was later found to contain children's toys.
Visitors to Trump Tower run during an evacuation by the New York Police Department, Dec. 27. The suspicious bag that prompted it was later found to contain children's toys.NBC News

The lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan was evacuated Tuesday afternoon over a suspicious bag found near a Nike store, but the bag was later found to contain children’s toys, a senior police official said.

Video posted to social media showed people running from the lobby and officers yelling "out!"

The evacuation occurred at around 4:45 p.m., and the bomb squad was called in as a precaution.

The all-clear was given at at 5:07 p.m., NYPD Assistant Commissioner for Communication and Public Information J. Peter Donald said on Twitter.

President-elect Donald Trump was at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, at the time, according to pool reporters.

Trump transition team spokesman Sean Spicer said an unattended package was outside the checkpoint area.

It appeared that shoppers were still on the second floor of the tower, but Fifth Avenue was cleared in front of the building, and crowds were moved back.

Some Trump staffers, however, were in the tower — where the president-elect keeps a penthouse — working on the transition.

Related: The Cost of Protecting Jet-Setting President Elect Trump? Yuge!

The 58-story glass tower where Trump keeps a penthouse lies in the heart of Manhattan. Former New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton after the November election called the security situation there "an unprecedented challenge."

"You are in one of the busiest cities in the world, on one of the busiest streets in the world, and one of the most well-known buildings in the world," Bratton told NBC News at the time.

The Secret Service has it has a long relationship with the NYPD "involving large-scale complex security operations."

After Spicer Tweeted "Back to work here at Trump Tower after a false alarm. Thanks NYPD" Tuesday, Eric Phillips, press secretary for Democrat New York Mayor Bill de Blasio responded: "No problem. We'll send you the bill."

Trump aide Dan Scavino, who has been named director of social media, hit back and tweeted that Phillips was "an embarrassment" to the mayor's office and the NYPD.

Image: Police and fire crew stand outside Trump Tower following a report of a suspicious package in Manhattan, New York City
Police and fire crew stand outside Trump Tower following a report of a suspicious package in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 27, 2016. The bag turned out to be filled with toys, a police official said.ANDREW KELLY / Reuters