Suspect shot after bomb threat at Baltimore news station

BALTIMORE -- A man dressed in an animal costume was shot by a police sniper when he refused to surrender after reportedly making a bomb threat at a Baltimore TV news station today, authorities said.

The suspect walked out of the building and didn't take police orders to take his hands out of his pockets, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said. The suspect was then shot by an officer, and a robot has been deployed to approach the suspect since it is not yet known what type of materials are on his body, Davis added. The suspect is alive and is refusing to cooperate.

The station, WBFF, is located on W. 41st Street and its building was evacuated soon after the bomb threat was received.

The suspect is a white male and appears to be in his 20s, police said, and is still a threat to the public.

"The suspect is not deceased," police spokesman T.J. Smith said. "It is still an evolving situation."

The initial emergency call came in at 1:20 p.m. from a Fox affiliate and authorities responded to the threat made by an unidentified suspect who claimed to have a bomb. The suspect was wearing a costume and something that appeared to have wires on it, authorities said, and inside his jacket there appeared to be an explosive device.

Fire crews and an arson team appeared on the scene. Still, Smith cautions, the "situation is not safe" and the scene is not secure at this time.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has also been called to the scene.

A car was also set on fire in front of the news station at the time the man entered the station.

ABC News' Jack Date and Margaret Chadbourn contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.