James Jay Lee, an environmental extremist, has been shot and killed following a hostage situation at the Discovery Channel headquarters building in Silver Springs, MD, a suburb of Washington DC.
Lee, who recently published a manifesto listing his demands to the Discovery Channel, entered the building earlier today carrying a gun, and possibly explosive devices.
According to an eyewitness, Lee walked into the building “wearing what appeared to be metallic canister devices on his front and back” and carrying a handgun, before taking three hostages.
A SWAT team entered the building, and shot and killed Lee at 4:48pm EST, when Lee pulled a gun and a “potentially explosive device appeared to go off on the suspect’s chest,” and the hostages were considered to be in imminent danger.
A bomb squad is currently combing the Discovery Channel headquarters to ensure the safety of the building.
Lee, a California native, managed the website savetheplanetprotest.com, which was his idea to save the planet. He was arrested in February 2008 for disorderly conduct after throwing money into the air to lure a crowd to a demonstration outside the Discovery building.
Following his arrest, Lee spent nearly two weeks in jail and several days under psychiatric evaluation. He was ordered to stay away from the building. Today’s events took place two weeks after Lee’s probation ended.
James Lee mug shot from 2008 below.