A Look Back at Sept. 1, 2010: Gunman Killed, Hostages Freed from Discovery

After a gunman stormed into the Discovery Communications building on Sept. 1, 2010, he threatened to kill hostages and himself with an explosive device. The following is a version of the events that happened that day and in the days and months that followed, according to multiple news sources.

1. Sept. 1, 2010, about 1 p.m.: James J. Lee walks into the main lobby of the Discovery Communications headquarters building. Employees and witnesses call 911, saying Lee has a gun. Meanwhile, multiple Montgomery County Police officials are deployed to the scene, including bomb technicians, crisis negotiators and tactical medics. Officer Edward Paden is the first police officer to enter the building and gather information. Paden is able to confirm Lee has an explosive device, detonator trigger with a flashing red light.

2. Sept. 1, 2010, about 1:30 p.m.: A block away on Ellsworth Drive, police officials close off downtown Silver Spring and nearby streets. Many employees are trapped inside their office buildings and restaurants.

3. Sept. 1, 2010, an unknown time: NBC’s news producer Rob Rivas calls the building and Lee picks up the telephone. Rivas talks to him for about 10 minutes, during which time the gunman said he had bombs strapped to his body. Lee also refers to his website, which includes a list of demands.

4. Sept. 1, 2010, between 1 p.m. and 1:54 p.m.: Discovery employees are evacuated from the building. Paden notifies his sergeant of the employees evacuating the building through the side door of the building. He keeps moving through the building. The children from the Discovery Place Daycare are evacuated from the building.

5. Sept. 1, 2010, 3 p.m.: Discovery Communications emails employees directing them not to speak to the media. The email read: "With regard to today's emergency situation, all employee [sic] should be compliant with Discovery's Corporate Communications Policy. Employees should not be involved in press interviews of any kind."

6. Sept. 1, 2010, 3:15 p.m.: Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger arrives at the press staging area near Colesville Road and Second Avenue. .

7. Sept. 1, 2010, 4 p.m.: Montgomery County Police Cpl. Dan Friz confirms that negotiators have been talking to Lee. At the time, police officials could not confirm Lee had explosive devices, but treated the situation as though he did. 

8. Sept. 1, 2010, 4:48 p.m. Manager confirms James J. Lee is shot dead on the scene. SWAT officers killed Lee because officials believed the hostages were in danger.

9. Sept. 1, 2010, an unknown time: Businesses are allowed to let employees and customers leave the area.

10. Sept. 2, 2010, 10 a.m.: Four more explosive devices are discovered in the gunman’s home in the 2500 block of Kimberly Street in Wheaton. that Lee rented a room in the home.

11. Sept. 2, 2010: The immediate streets surrounding Discovery Communications are still cordoned off so police officials can finish their investigation inside. Meanwhile, commuters and employees try to return to work as usual. The Discovery lobby is closed to the public.

12. Sept. 3, 2010: . The calls come from a combination of Discovery employees and other witnesses.

13. Sept. 6, 2010: The Sensory Garden is officially closed to the public. The media company sends a mass email to its employees, and the Gazette obtains a copy. Discovery is given about two months to develop a site amendment plan and present it to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

14. Nov. 22, 2010: The Sensory Garden opens to the public with limited hours. The lobby remains closed.

15. Dec. 8, 2010: Discovery officials propose changes to the lobby and garden. The site amendment plan includes an 8-foot fence with a secured gate for reentry to the building for children in the daycare program and a secured door from inside the building that would directly lead to the playground. The garden would have shrubs and vines added to the new fence.

16. Feb. 1, 2011: Montgomery County Planning Board approves the site amendment plans for the Discovery Sensory Garden.

17. Feb. 10, 2011: The owner of Augie's Doggies, Isidro Cabrera, is rewarded for his efforts on Sept. 1. He warned people to stay away from the entrances of the Discovery headquarters during the four-hour crisis. Cabrera's hot dog stand gets an upgrade from West Coast Customs, a custom car-design company that runs the television show “Street Customs” on the Discovery Channel.

18. March 11, 2011: Montgomery County Police officer Edward Paden is nominated to be “America’s Most Wanted” Top Cop. Paden was the first Montgomery County Police officer to enter the building and was able to offer critical intelligence to his colleagues. Paden did not win the contest.

29. April 13, 2011:

20. April 20, 2011: Construction of the upgraded Sensory Garden is under way.

21. Sept. 1, 2011:  Discovery Communications has not scheduled any events to publicly observe this day.