Howard County Man in Panda Suit Threatened Fox 45: Cops

BALTIMORE, MD — A 25-year-old Howard County man who barricaded himself inside the Fox 45 building in an attempt to get something broadcast on the news Thursday afternoon was shot by authorities and is in serious condition, according to Baltimore Police.

The suspect has not been charged and is receiving treatment at a local hospital, police said.

Clad in a "panda outfit onesie," the man entered the building on TV Hill around 1:20 p.m. and threatened Fox 45 staff "with some type of outfit that appeared to be a bomb," Baltimore Police Media Relations Director T.J. Smith said.

The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, “brought in some type of device—we believe a flash drive—and wanted Fox 45 to air something on the news," Smith said.

Several news outlets have identified the suspect as Alex Brizzi of Elkridge.

Two weeks ago, Brizzi suffered a mental break after he and his girlfriend broke up, the man's father told Fox 45. "He's been acting OK, just a little reserved," his father said.

The father told Fox 45 he presumed his son wanted to "pass on his message" that the world was going to end on June 3.

When he arrived at the TV station's entryway, the costumed man was wearing a surgical mask and red flotation-type device that appeared to have explosives attached, police said.

In actuality, the items that looked like explosives were chocolate candy bars wrapped in aluminum foil with wires connecting them, linked to a small motherboard, according to Smith.

A wire ran down the sleeve of the man's jacket into his hand to give the impression that he was able to detonate something, according to Smith.

Police said that once he was inside the Fox 45 vestibule, the panda costume-wearing man spoke with a security officer who was not a Fox 45 employee; in turn, the security guard alerted authorities.

"I dialed 911 underneath the desk," security guard Jay Apostolides told Fox 45.

Around the same time, a fire broke out in the parking lot and burned a car associated with the suspect, Smith said. It was deemed an arson, with a rag found inside the gas tank, he said.

When authorities arrived at the building in the 2000 block of West 41st Street, personnel from Fox 45 were in the process of evacuating.

Public safety officials from the fire department to the SWAT team responded, and three Baltimore Police officers shot the costumed man after he refused to follow orders to show his hands, according to Smith.

A robot was used to remove his clothing, and officials were continuing to clear the building, Smith said after 5:30 p.m.

The suspect was listed in serious but stable condition at a Baltimore hospital, Smith said.

The area around 41st Street was closed until 9:15 p.m., when police reported the Fox 45 building was declared secure.

Police Commissioner Kevin Davis described the incident as an "unusual event" and said he did not have "a rational explanation for irrational behavior."

Local authorities said they were working with federal partners and the state's attorney's office on the investigation, which is ongoing.