NBC guard fired after alleged Today intruder reaches Craig Melvin
A security guard was dismissed after an alleged intruder got into Studio 1A and confronted Craig Melvin, according to TMZ.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
NBC dismissed a security guard Thursday after an alleged intruder made it into the “Today” show’s Studio 1A and confronted Craig Melvin, TMZ reported, citing sources with direct knowledge.
The guard was fired after allegedly letting the suspect get past security and into a restricted part of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, according to TMZ. A representative for “Today” declined to comment to the outlet about the firing.
Page Six reported that security video showed two guards stationed at the entrance at the time of the breach. According to that outlet, one guard briefly stepped away, while the other did not notice the man entering the restricted area.
The suspect has been identified by TMZ as Andrew Truelove. TMZ previously reported, citing law enforcement sources, that Truelove entered 30 Rockefeller Plaza through the “Today” plaza after asking staff members where he could find Al Roker.
Those law enforcement sources told TMZ that Truelove did not locate Roker and instead allegedly lunged at Melvin while using the N-word. The confrontation ended quickly, according to TMZ, with Truelove detained until NYPD officers arrived.
No one was injured, TMZ reported. Melvin and Roker returned to the air roughly 15 minutes after the incident, according to the outlet.
TMZ also reported that its cameras later recorded a heavy police presence outside 30 Rock while investigators examined how the suspect managed to get so far inside the building.
Truelove has been charged with hate crime burglary, hate crime menacing, hate crime criminal trespass and harassment, according to TMZ. The charges are allegations, and TMZ did not report a response from Truelove.
The incident has put fresh scrutiny on access controls at one of morning television’s most recognizable spaces. Studio 1A, the glass-walled home of “Today,” sits at the center of Rockefeller Plaza, where crowds routinely gather outside during live broadcasts.
According to the accounts from TMZ and Page Six, the breach happened despite guards being posted at the entrance. NBC has not publicly detailed any additional security changes tied to the incident.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.