An armed man was captured outside the UN
After a confrontation outside the UN, an armed man was captured, and the area was placed under lockdown.
The United Nations headquarters in New York City was shut down for several hours on Thursday after a man was observed pacing outside one of the main gates with a loaded shotgun, placing it under his chin at times, according to authorities.
The man, who seemed to be in his 60s, was apprehended without incident around 1:40 p.m., approximately three hours after he was initially spotted outside a United Nations security checkpoint on Manhattan’s First Avenue, according to police. According to NYPD Chief of Special Operations Harry Wedin, he was transferred to a hospital for evaluation.
Wedin stated the rifle was loaded with one shotgun shell. According to Wedin, the individual had a backpack with him and offered police documents, including medical papers, that he stated he wanted transferred to the United Nations.
“As part of the negotiations with the NYPD, the man stated he wanted to first provide some papers to the UN,” said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
Dujarric remarked, “Our Security officers seized hold of the materials.” “We handed over the paperwork to the NYPD as soon as the individual surrendered.” The papers appeared to be medical in nature and had nothing to do with the United Nations.”
The U.N. complex’s perimeter fence was locked, and the individual didn’t appear to be attempting to penetrate the security perimeter. There was no danger to the public, according to the police. According to Wedin, the individual never waved his gun at authorities or threatened to hurt them.
There was no proof of a nexus to terrorism, according to NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker. Tucker said there was no letter in the man’s files, but police were looking for clues to his conduct in the names and notations on the documents.
“Essentially, he wanted the United Nations to receive his documents, which is eventually what we agreed to do — send those documents to the United Nations — and he said if we could do that, he’d put the gun down, which is precisely what happened,” Tucker said outside the United Nations.
Tucker said the man was from Florida and had walked to the United Nations from the Millennium Hotel, which is a few steps from Times Square and where he’d been staying since Wednesday.
The bomb squad swept the hotel, the man’s room, and a pickup truck related to him parked outside the hotel, Tucker said, and discovered nothing suspicious.
According to Tucker, criminal accusations are pending. He did not give the man’s name, but stated he had no criminal history.
People inside the United Nations headquarters were first advised to stay put, but were eventually allowed to walk around the facility and enter and exit through different doors. The General Assembly and Security Council of the United Nations were both in session on Thursday. Tucker said the individual was reported to police via a 911 call made from inside the United Nations headquarters.
In a statement, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, “We applaud the NYPD for their swift response to the event, and we continue in communication with them as they complete their investigation.”
There was “zero indication” the man was a current or former UN employee, according to Dujarric.
