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Al Roker broke his silence after an intruder was arrested for lunging at Craig Melvin on the Today show set.
“A really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother, @craigmelvinnbc,” Roker, 71, wrote via Instagram on Friday, July 17. “We are both OK.”
The meteorologist thanked Today viewers for their outpouring of support.
“It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together,” he continued. “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.”
News broke on Thursday, July 16, that a man — now identified as 41-year-old Andrew Truelove — was apprehended after he snuck into the morning show’s studio in New York City. Truelove allegedly looked for Roker at first before lunging toward Melvin, 47, and yelling a racial slur.
Melvin and Roker were cohosting with Savannah Guthrie and Dylan Dreyer when the incident occurred. The Today show later issued a statement offering further information about what happened.
“There was a security incident this morning at the TODAY show studio. An individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A,” the statement read. “The person approached anchor Craig Melvin, who alerted security. The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident. There was no altercation, and no one was injured.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Multiple outlets have since reported that a security guard was fired following the breach. Truelove, meanwhile, is facing several charges, including hate crime — criminal trespass and harassment, and has yet to be arraigned.
Melvin broke his silence on the frightening situation in a brief message shared via Instagram on Thursday.
“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.”
During Friday’s live show, Melvin elaborated on how he was doing, assuring viewers that he was “safe and sound.”
“I want to take a quick minute to address an incident that happened yesterday,” Melvin said while sitting with Carson Daly, Laura Jarrett and Roker.
He continued: “You may have heard that unfortunately an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A. Thankfully he was apprehended quickly [and] he was placed under arrest.”
Melvin concluded by offering an update on the case, adding, “We are cooperating fully with the NYPD as they investigate the matter and we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”
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