Police Shoot “Baltimore Panda Bomber” Man In Panda Suit Claiming To Have Bomb Taken Down, Footage Caught On Periscope

A man dressed in a panda costume already being dubbed by the media as the “Baltimore Panda Bomber” walked into Baltimore television station WBFF-TV Thursday, claiming he had a bomb and would detonate it in the station if the video on his flash drive wasn’t played on air.

As first reported by Fox45 News, witnesses reported hearing “three loud shots” before seeing the man – described only thus far as an unnamed white man – lying in the street. Baltimore spokesman T.J. Smith said he is reported to still be alive and that police opened fire when the man refused to take his hands out of his pockets.

The man broke into the Sinclair-owned Fox affiliate around 1:20 PM this afternoon, demanding the station show his video on government conspiracy. The building was immediately evacuated and appropriate security measures were taken.

It is believed that the man was responsible for a fire coming from a dark-colored sedan in the parking lot as well.

Video of man walking out of @FOXBaltimore pic.twitter.com/3Q2i4gwtw6 — Shelley Orman (@ShelleyOFox45) April 28, 2016

LIVE on #Periscope: Fire in Fox45 parking lot https://t.co/6Zh4i8vNQl — Paul Gessler (@PaulGessler) April 28, 2016

“Someone came into the front of the building and they apparently said that they had some information they wanted to get on the air,” said FOX45 News Director Mike Tomko.

“I came down at one point not knowing the person was in the lobby, near the vestibule area. He talked to me and was wearing what appears to be a full-body white panda suit, surgical mask and sunglasses,” Tomko continued. “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.”

Tomko additionally noted that the man had made threats in the past, though this was the first time he had directly stated that he was armed with explosives.

Police attempted to disarm the Panda Bomber initially with a robot, but when he failed to comply, they had no choice but to use physical force.

Robot trying to get suspect to show his hands. pic.twitter.com/ekDM4i3qGm — Shelley Orman (@ShelleyOFox45) April 28, 2016

The full incident was caught on periscope.

Thankfully, it would appear that nobody outside of the perpetrator has been hurt.