Gunman Dead, Hostages Unharmed in Discovery Channel Standoff

Police shot and killed a gunman who was holding 3 hostages at the Discovery Channel’s Maryland headquarters. The suspect was identified as James Lee.

Montgomery County Police received a call from the Discovery Channel office at around 1pm yesterday to report a man with a gun and possible explosives. According to a police spokesman, the suspect entered the building's main entrance "wearing what appeared to be metallic canister devices on his front and back. He also pulled a handgun out and was waving a handgun."

Most of 1,900 employees were evacuated from the building. Lori Rorke told CNN that when word spread of the gunman in the building panic set in.

"When we first heard the news, we heard that the gunman was mobile and we were told to go into locked offices," she said. "We were really panicking, then trying to keep it under control."

Lee managed to capture 3 hostages before the building was cleared. Police negotiators talked to Lee by phone for 4 hours in an effort to free the hostages (a security guard and 2 other men). Police snippers were watching the situation from the building’s surveillance system.

Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said Lee was calm throughout most of the discussion, but at some points he seemed agitated.

"At times during the negotiations, he was calm, but I wouldn't call him lucid. The conversation was indicative to me he was dealing with some mental issues," he said.

Discovery employees were familiar with Lee, who routinely protested the stations programming. Lee was linked to an angry manifesto that was posted on the Internet, in 2008. In the 1,149-word statement the author said, "Civilization must be exposed for the filth it is," and demanded that the Discovery Channel "stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants."

That same year a judge warned Lee to stay 500 yards away from the Discovery office after he staged a 1-man protest. Even then, the company did not take Lee’s threats seriously.

Yesterday’s ordeal ended when 1 of the hostages moved, drawing Lee's attention. According to Police Chief Manger, Lee pulled his gun and aimed it at the hostages, and it was at that point that a sniper inside the building took the shot that killed Lee.

Police swept the building for explosives, but found nothing dangerous. Discovery Channel spokesman David Leavy expects the company to bounce back from the situation without it affecting work.

"Our hope and expectation is that tomorrow morning we will be open for business and we will be making great TV again," he said.