A man known for protesting the Discovery Channel stormed the network's Maryland headquarters carrying a handgun on Wednesday, taking a "small number" of hostages while appearing to have a bomb strapped to his chest, police said.
The Montgomery County Police Department said Wednesday that they are negotiating with the man who is holding hostages on the ground floor of the building in Silver Spring, Md., a suburb directly north of Washington, D.C.
Discovery Communications told Fox News that the gunman is James Jay Lee of San Diego, Calif., a man well-known to Discovery employees with a history of protesting the network. Maryland police, however, have not yet confirmed the suspect's identity.
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MSNBC reports police shot and killed the gunman.
Police shot and killed a man armed with several bombs who held three hostages Wednesday at the Discovery Communications building in Silver Spring, Md. Authorities said the hostages were safe.
At least one device on the man’s body went off when he was shot inside the building in suburban Washington, D.C., Montgomery County police Chief Thomas Manger said. Police were searching the building for other explosive devices.
Manger said no one was believed to have been injured other than the gunman, whom SWAT officers shot about 4:50 p.m. ET because officials “believed the hostages were in danger.” The building in the close-in suburb of Washington was safely evacuated, including the Discovery Kids Place day care center, police said.
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