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White House lockdown lifted following security scare

Posted at 7:25 AM, May 07, 2014
and last updated 2014-05-07 07:25:52-04

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Officials temporarily locked down the White House late Tuesday afternoon due to a security situation at a street entrance to the complex, according to CNN journalists inside.

The move came after a vehicle followed a motorcade into a secure area at 4:40 p.m., a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said. The motorcade included the two daughters of President Barack Obama, who go to school nearby, according to a source familiar with the incident.

The driver was stopped by uniformed officers at the outer perimeter of a checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and taken into custody, according to the spokesperson.

The source familiar with the incident said the driver holds a pass for the U.S. Treasury building, which sits next to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue.

About one hour after it began, journalists inside the White House were told the lockdown had been lifted.

Due to tight security at the home of the President, even minor breaches can bring a lockdown.

CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report.