James J. Lee, the gunman who seized the Discovery Communications building on September 1st, was shot dead by police after a four-hour standoff. His three hostages--two Discovery Channel staff members and a security guard--were freed successfully and are now safe. Police made the decision to confront Lee directly after hearing the sound of a gunshot or explosive, then spotting the gunman appearing to threaten one of his hostages.
Since the resolution, we have learned much more about the logisitics of Lee's attack and the possible motivations behind this shocking incident. As many reported when the hostage situation began, Lee was a longtime protestor of Discovery Channel programming. In 2008, he engaged in a demonstration outside the Discovery Communications building for which he was charged with disorderly conduct. As the founder of a radical movement he called Save the Planet Protest, Lee spoke out frequently and viciously against shows featured on Discovery, LLC's channels, including TLC's Kate Plus 8 and Discovery's Planet Green, which he believed was "about more PRODUCTS to make MONEY, not actual solutions."
Based on discoveries police have made since acting to subdue Lee, it seems the gunman was ready for a protracted siege. Reports claim he was carrying batteries on his person as well as a pair of ski masks. Police bomb squads performed disabling actions on at least three boxes or bags found throughout the Discovery building. It is unknown whether any such devices actually detonated, but one was found in apparent working condition--a homemade incendiary device similar to a standard grenade. At one point, Lee claimed that at least one of his bombs was rigged with a "deadman switch."
"I have several bombs strapped to my body ready to go off. I have a device that if I drop it, if I drop it, it will ... explode," a man identifying himself as Lee told NBC News correspondents over the phone. The device in question does not appear to have come into play during the final moments of the standoff, but reports are still coming in.
Investigations will surely continue, but for now, personnel are safe, and we seem to have been spared
