A CBS-affiliated KRQE-TV station in Albuquerque, New Mexico was forced off the air for roughly one and a half hours due to an unexpected intruder.
KRQE employees were evacuated from their building on Sunday night. The 10 p.m. newscast became color bars, reported CBS and ABC. A nearby NBC station, KOB-TV, was also put on lockdown.
NBC Bay Area reporter Sergio Quintana tweeted a photo showing the colored bars on the News 13 screen, which is the virtual and VHF digital channel of KRQE. “KRQE TV, the CBS affiliate in Albuquerque went to color bars. There are reports that an intruder is in the building. It’s been evacuated. KOB-TV, the NBC Station is across the street. It’s on lockdown,” he said in that tweet.
#BREAKING KRQE TV, the CBS affiliate in Albuquerque went to color bars. There are reports that an #intruder is in the building. It’s been evacuated. KOB TV, the NBC Station is across the street. It’s on lockdown. pic.twitter.com/mIqWNVfOdK
— Sergio Quintana (@svqjournalist) July 2, 2018
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the intruder entered the TV station’s building around 8:45 p.m. local time. He was escorted out after entering the area where the employees were preparing the upcoming broadcast.
But employees called 911 a short while later to report that the intruder had returned. The police evacuated the building to ensure safety. However, after an intensive search with a tactical unit, the police couldn’t find any sign that the intruder was still in the building. Afterward, police lifted the evacuation order and the TV station resumed operation.
At 10:21 p.m., KRQE’s Sunday Night anchor Madeline Schmitt confirmed the building is safe, citing information from police: “A little more than an hour and a half later police gave us the all clear and we were able to continue our broadcast operations.”
(2/2) "…A little more than an hour and a half later police gave us the all clear and we were able to continue our broadcast operations."
— Madeline Schmitt (@madelinedenise) July 2, 2018
The employees and police were on edge due to the recent incident at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. Five employees were killed by a man with an apparent grudge against the newspaper last Thursday.
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