The gunman killed by police inside Discovery Channel’s headquarters didn’t like reality TV stars like Kate Gosselin, but he loved squirrels.
The manifesto left by James Lee on the Internet before he was shot detailed his hatred for Discovery Channel shows that featured ’birthing’ and military themes.
But Lee loved shows that showcased animals.
’All programs on Discovery Health-TLC must stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions,’ Lee wrote.
Discovery Communications Inc. operates cable and satellite networks in the U.S., including The Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. Discovery shows include "Cash Cab" and "Man vs. Wild," and TLC airs "American Chopper" and "Kate Plus Eight."
Animal Planet also airs the controversial series "Whale Wars," about attempts by environmentalists to disrupt the Japanese whaling
industry.
Lee speficially mentions TLC as an offender, but not Kate Gosselin or the Duggars by name.
’Stop all shows glorifying human birthing on all your channels and on TLC,’ Lee demanded.
Lee also wanted more respect for animals.
’Nothing is more important than saving them. The Lions, Tigers, Giraffes, Elephants, Froggies, Turtles, Apes, Raccoons, Beetles, Ants, Sharks, Bears, and, of course, the Squirrels.’
Police shot and killed Lee on Wednesday after he pointed a gun at a hostage. Lee took two employees and a security officer hostage at the company's headquarters Wednesday, officials said. All three hostages escaped safely.
Police spent several hours negotiating with the gunman, who was upset about the network's programming, after he burst into the suburban Washington building about 1 p.m. waving a handgun and with canisters strapped to his body.
Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger said one explosive device detonated on the gunman's body when they shot him, and they were working to determine whether two boxes and two backpacks he also had with him were explosives. The 1,900 people who work in the building were able to get out safely.
Manger said officers were monitoring Lee on building security cameras and tactical officers moved in when they saw him pull out the handgun and point it at one of the hostages.
A lengthy posting which could be seen Wednesday on a website registered to Lee expressed anger against the Discovery Channel and
said it promoted overpopulation. He said it and its affiliates should stop "encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants." Instead, he said, the network should air "programs encouraging human sterilization and infertility." "NO MORE BABIES! Population growth is a real crisis," he wrote.
He also railed against "programs promoting War" and said solutions should be found for global warming and automotive and factory pollution. "I want Discovery Communications to broadcast on their channels to the world their new program lineup and I want proof they are doing so," he wrote. "I want the new shows started by asking the public for inventive solution ideas to save the planet and the remaining wildlife on it."
After Lee's arrest, a magistrate ordered a doctor's evaluation, but court records do not immediately indicate the result. Lee was
convicted by a jury and served two weeks in jail. He was also ordered to stay 500 feet away from Discovery headquarters.
Adam Dolan, a sales director in Discovery's education division, told The Associated Press by phone that he was heading to lunch
with a co-worker when he heard there was a situation in the building. He was told to go back up to the top floor, lock the door and turn off the lights. Eventually the workers were herded down a stairwell and told to go home. "Everyone was very scared, but at the same time ... I think people were calm and collected and responded as one would expect in this situation," said Dolan, 28.
When he got to the bottom floor, he saw shattered glass near the company's daycare and suspected it was broken to get the children
out. He later got an e-mail that all the children were safe and had been taken to a McDonald's.
Dolan said the company has unarmed security guards who won't let anyone into the building without a badge.
Melissa Shepard, 32, of Peterborough, N.H., a consultant who works there during the week, said she was on the third floor in a large room with several other workers when someone announced over a loudspeaker that there was a situation in the lobby and people should stay at their desks.
After some time, they were told to move to the other end of the building. She said she was among a dozen workers who huddled into
an office, shut the door and turned off the lights. Then she said someone knocked on the door and told them to leave the building. She said there was some confusion as they were told to go to an upper floor or down the stairs.
"Finally, I screamed, 'tell us where we need to go...I just want to get out of there,"' she said. "I was shaking...I was like what do we do what do we do?"'