Police: Vehicle rams TV station in Maryland
TOWSON, Md. (AP) — A truck rammed a Baltimore-area television station, leaving a gaping hole in the front of the building, and police said Tuesday afternoon that an armed person might be inside.
WMAR-TV News Director Kelly Groft told The Associated Press in a phone interview that the station believes everyone inside evacuated safely.
She said that when the truck began ramming the lobby around noon Tuesday, she screamed for everyone in the newsroom to get out.
Baltimore County police said 55 people evacuated but that they couldn't be sure everyone was out. Police said there may be an armed person inside, but there had not been any reports of shots fired. Police also said they knew of no motive.
"As far as I know everyone is safe," Baltimore County Police Department Cpl. Brian Kelly, standing near the scene, said.
A hole the size of several garage doors could be seen in the front of the building Tuesday afternoon. Police officers were on the scene, and news helicopters hovered above. A school next door was locked down.
Police received a 911 about 11:45 about a man banging on the door and trying to get into the news station, public safety spokeswoman Elise Armacost said. Within minutes, there was a second 911 call reporting that a vehicle had come into the newsroom.
Armacost called it large commercial vehicle. Officers didn't find the suspect in the vehicle, she said, and were still looking for weapons.
"We're assuming his a dangerous person" because he ran a vehicle into an occupied building, she said.
