“A man claiming to be God rammed a truck through the front of a Baltimore-area television station Tuesday, leaving a gaping hole as reporters and other staff fled the building,” Fox News reported Tuesday. Authorities later identified the man as Vladimir Mehul Baptiste. Baptiste barricaded himself inside the TV station until police arrived, tweeting while he waited.
The “suspect was found sitting in upstairs editing bay holding a golf club,” according to ABC News reporter Roosevelt Leftwich. Police believe Baptiste is emotionally and/or mentally ill. “Can you all see me the days of the negative energies hurting you are OVER!” the suspect tweeted from the WMAR TV station. The WMAR building, along with a nearby school, were evacuated for safety, CNN continues.
“Inside the station, police found sheaths for machetes believed to have been used by workers in the highway truck. They also recovered a satchel with unknown contents,” CNN writes. “A dog was used to subdue the suspect, who was taken for a psychiatric evaluation before facing criminal charges, police said.”
Baptiste is charged with three separate counts of attempted second-degree murder. No station employees were injured in the crash or the aftermath of the collision. The suspect’s motive remains unclear.