Suspicious item prompts closure of SEA baggage claim; reopens after bomb squad clears package

A suspicious item prompted a brief closure of several baggage claim carousels and nearby doors at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Friday before being cleared as harmless, according to airport officials.

The item was discovered in a garbage can on the lower baggage claim level near the airport’s lost and found office. Out of an abundance of caution, airport police secured the area and called in the bomb disposal unit to investigate.

As part of the response, several baggage claims and nearby doorways on the lower arrivals drive were temporarily closed while officers and technicians examined the item.

SEA spokesperson Perry Cooper said the package ultimately turned out not to be suspicious, and the impacted areas were fully reopened once the bomb squad completed its assessment.

Cooper on baggage claim closure: ‘We’d rather be safe than sorry’

Cooper noted that while incidents like this do not happen frequently, they are not unheard of in a busy public facility like an airport.

“We’re a public facility, and we encourage a ‘see something, say something’ approach,” Cooper said. “We’d rather be safe than sorry, so when our police department decides to be precautionary and bring in our experts, we’re going to take that step.”

He added that the airport has never had a situation escalate beyond a precautionary response, but officials remain vigilant.

“Fortunately, it’s never been anything worse. The bad guys only have to be right once,” Cooper said, underscoring the need for proactive security measures.

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