A deranged man reportedly breached the set of NBC’s Today show Thursday morning, lunging at anchor Craig Melvin while allegedly shouting a racist slur in a frightening security scare.
The incident unfolded around 9 a.m. at Studio 1A inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza while the Today hosts were off the air, according to TMZ. The confrontation was not broadcast live, and no injuries were reported.
Law enforcement sources told the outlet the suspect managed to bypass security and gain access to the restricted area where the morning show is filmed.
The man reportedly entered the studio looking for longtime Today weatherman Al Roker. When it became clear Roker was unavailable, the suspect allegedly turned his attention to Melvin, moving toward the anchor and screaming the n-word. Staff members and security quickly rushed in, restrained the man and held him until police arrived, according to the report.
The suspect was reportedly detained and arrested following the incident.
A photo obtained by TMZ appears to show Melvin surrounded by staff members in the moments after the confrontation as employees assessed what had happened.
Despite the alarming encounter, Melvin returned to the air roughly 15 minutes later alongside his fellow hosts without mentioning the incident. Nobody on the broadcast acknowledged the security breach.
The incident has reportedly sparked questions among Today staffers over how an unauthorized person was able to make it so deep into one of NBC’s most secure studio areas before being stopped.
Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>
