Craig Melvin & Al Roker Speak Out After Terrifying ‘Today’ Intruder Incident

Craig Melvin and Al Roker have spoken out after an intruder incident on the Today set.

On Thursday, July 16, TMZ reported that a man had been arrested after finding his way backstage of the NBC morning show. The man was allegedly searching for Roker but instead sought out Melvin after being unable to find the weatherman. The intruder reportedly lunged at Melvin and yelled a racial slur, after which the show’s staff and security detained him.

Melvin took to Instagram later that day to address the incident. “Hey everyone. I’ve heard from so many of you over the last few hours. I’m doing just fine,” he wrote. “Thanks for reaching out. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on @todayshow.”

Melvin also shared the statement released by Today on Thursday. “There was a security incident this morning at the Today show studio. An individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A,” it read. “The person approached anchor Craig Melvin, who alerted security. The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident.”

 

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A post shared by Craig Melvin (@craigmelvinnbc)

The statement continued, “There was no altercation, and no one was injured. Today is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter. NBC and Today take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously. We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios.”

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Roker, for his part, shared his message alongside Instagram photos of himself and Melvin on the show. “A really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother, @craigmelvinnbc. We are both okay,” he wrote. “It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together. You all, like Craig, said, ‘You come after one of us, you come after all of us.’ We’ll talk about it this morning on @todayshow.”

The hosts addressed the situation on-air during the show’s 7 a.m. ET hour on Friday, July 17. “You may have heard that unfortunately an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A,” Melvin told viewers, per People. “Thankfully he was apprehended quickly, he was placed under arrest, we are cooperating fully with NYPD as they investigate the matter and we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”

Laura Jarrett, who was filling in for Savannah Guthrie, stated, “We want to make sure that you’re safe.” Melvin assured that things on set were now “safe and sound.”

 

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A post shared by Al Roker (@alroker)

On Thursday, TMZ reported that a Today security guard was fired after allowing the intruder to find his way on set. According to Page Six, a security video allegedly shows two guards on duty at the time of the breach. While one supposedly stepped away, the other missed the intruder slipping into the set.

The suspect, originally described by TMZ as an unarmed white man, was later identified as 41-year-old Andrew Truelove. Truelove, who struggles with PTSD and a mood disorder, has a criminal history and multiple pending cases currently in New York courts. An NYPD spokesperson told NBC News that Truelove faces hate crime, burglary, menacing, criminal trespass, and harassment charges.

Today, Weekdays, 7 am/6c, NBC