Man who wore fake bomb to Baltimore TV station 'thought world was ending'

Police snipers shot the man after a standoff; he is expected to survive

The suspect in the lobby of the FOX station before the standoff began WBFF/Facebook

When a man walked into a Baltimore TV station donning an animal costume and a fake bomb strapped to his chest, he believed the world was about to end, according to his father.

Edward Brizzi told reporters that his 25-year-old son, Alex, had a “breakdown” and received word from God that the world would end on 3 June. Baltimore Police did not release the name of the suspect, but Mr Brizzi confirmed to WBFF that it was his son. Mr Brizzi wasn’t sure why his son chose the specific FOX affiliate.

“I think what it is he wanted to go to a media outlet so he pass his message on that the world’s going to end on June the third,” he said.

Mr Brizzi said that his son did not have a history of problems with mental health – aside from a 2012 suicide attempt using over-the-counter pain relievers. He did say his son’s girlfriend broke up with him two weeks ago, which may have sparked the breakdown.

The man reportedly entered the TV station wearing a hedgehog onesie and a fake bomb made out of chocolate bars and wires. He asked the station’s news director to air the contents of a USB drive he supplied, saying that it contained information on the same level as the Panama Papers.

According to Baltimore Police spokesperson TJ Smith, the man barricaded himself in the news station after the building had been evacuated. When he exited the building, heavily armed SWAT officers followed the man, who ignored their commands as he paced along the road.

The standoff came to an end when a police sniper shot the suspect three times. Mr Brizzi told WBFF that he had four wounds in his neck, left wrist, left buttocks, and right leg.

“The one [doctors are] worried about is the one in the neck,” he said. “They’re going to do exploratory surgery.”