Crime News

Fox TV Station Evacuated After Man in Costume Threatens a Bomb

By Chris Ariens 

Employees of Fox45 in Baltimore became the news this afternoon when a man wearing a costume made his way into a vestibule of the Sinclair-owned TV station and threatened a bomb.

“I came down at one point not knowing the person was in the lobby,” news director Mike Tomko said. “He talked to me and was wearing what appears to be a full body white panda suit, surgical mask and sunglasses. He had a flash drive, said he had information he wanted to get on the air. He compared it to the information found in the Panama Papers. I told him, ‘I can’t let you in, you’re going to have to leave the flash drive here and slide it through the opening.’ He wouldn’t do that. Apparently he had made some threats before.”

Security quickly evacuated the newsroom, and reporters and producers became eyewitnesses. The cable news networks broke in with coverage this afternoon as did other affiliates in Baltimore.

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The suspect emerged from the station just after 3 p.m., with Baltimore police following. A police sniper shot him. Police say he is alive and lying in the street, and communicating with officers, who are being cautious as they do not know if the device he claimed to have is real.

“The situation is not secure. The situation is not safe,” a spokesperson says.

According to Tomko, another threat was made earlier in the day to another employee, though specifics of that threat are unknown at this time.

“We cover so many of these stories ourselves, it’s surreal to be a part of it,” said producer Paul McGrew.

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