Toddler slips through White House fence, gets apprehended by Secret Service on lawn
Boy got a "timeout" and was returned to parents
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A toddler breached White House security last night, slipping through the fence that encircles the White House, with the Secret Service joking that they'll need to wait until he can talk to question the tiny runaway.
The boy, name unknown, gave his parents the slip and squeezed through the fence around 8pm ET, as reporters awaited a statement from President Obama.
Possibly a new and unusual living terrorist device, possibly just a boy who spotted the nice, soft grass, he was swiftly rounded up by guards and returned to his parents.
"We were going to wait until he learned to talk to question him," Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan told reporters. "But in lieu of that he got a timeout and was sent on way with parents."
At least one guard wasn't impressed however:
The White House has a history of bizarre security breaches, a stolen Cessna plane having crash landed on the South Lawn in 1994 and a naked man having been tackled at the gate earlier this year.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments