Philadelphia City Hall was evacuated early Sunday after an unattended bag was found at a ticket counter in the transit station beneath the 112-year-old building, prompting a police and bomb-squad response before sunrise, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
The alarm was raised when a SEPTA employee discovered an unattended bag left at a ticket counter in front of the transit authority's City Hall station, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Officers and the bomb squad were dispatched to the station at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard around 4:30 a.m., the outlet reported.
Trains Halted as Bomb Squad Responds
SEPTA stopped trains from entering City Hall Station while authorities investigated. The station serves as a downtown hub for three lines, according to NBC10 Philadelphia, making the precautionary halt relevant to more than one transit service.
City Hall itself was evacuated as the response unfolded, underscoring how seriously officials treated the discovery even before the package's nature was determined, per a report from NBC10 Philadelphia. A bomb-sniffing dog was brought in to check the SEPTA station.
Why the station names can be confusing
According to SEPTA, 15th Street Station and City Hall Station are actually one station with different platform areas. That arrangement helps explain why a disruption identified by either station name can affect a central downtown transit hub and multiple services. SEPTA says it began using its new Metro terminology in schedules, digital tools and bus headsigns in February 2025. Older and newer station names may therefore continue to appear during the transition.
All-Clear Given Within the Hour
The response ended within about half an hour. A bomb-sniffing dog and its handler gave the all-clear at roughly 5 a.m., NBC10 Philadelphia reported.
Authorities have not disclosed what was inside the bag or whether it posed an actual danger. CBS News Philadelphia described the incident as developing while officials worked through the response.
