Discovery Building Hostage Situation

9/1/10 4:00 pm EST

Wow- Just heard the news. An armed gunman has taken hostages at the Discovery Channel Building in downtown Silver Spring MD. The building has been evacuated and the children from the company's pre-school were taken to a near by McDonald's until their parents can pick them up. There have been no reports of any injuries so far and I'm praying that it stays that way.

Meanwhile, the name of the gunman has been released as well as reports of his past activities and arrests. Seems he is from California and has a history of mental illness. He also has a history with the Discovery Channel Building as he previously protested environmental issues in front of the network building. Again, I'm praying that all ends well.

Deuteronomy 33:12
Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.

Prayer: Lord, keep the hostages safe within Your shield!


My Personal Reflections:
I'm very familiar with the Discovery Building, as I lived a few blocks away from it for nearly a decade and I still have friends and family in the area. The building houses the headquarters of the Discovery Channel's east coast operations and it sits just across the way from the AFI theater, its co-sponsor for the annual Silver Docs. I was glad when the building opened years ago because it made my dreams of a career in the entertainment industry seem that much closer. I even applied for a few jobs online with them but had no luck. I didn't get to see the inside of the building until the Silver Docs in 2006 and it was worth the wait (see 2009 post).

I have just as fond visual memories of the building too which always reflected the company's sense of humor. For example, the T-Rex that is housed in the lobby would be dressed up annually with a wreath for Christmas and, during Shark Week, they put a large shark on the building. So it's very sad for me to see news reports of scared Discovery employees running out of the building and police and armed S.W.A.T. teams racing about. More updates to come as more information is released.

Update: 7:30 pm EST
Police report that the gunman has been shot and killed and all 3 hostages released unarmed. They also confirmed that the gunman did have explosives. I'm so glad that all the hostages are okay, thank God!


www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38957020/