A 27-year-old man from Ohio was taken into custody Friday morning after walking onto the stage at a Wikipedia conference in Union Square with a firearm and threatening to kill himself, police sources and organizers said.
At Civic Hall just before 10:30 a.m., the man waved the gun, placed it to his head, and announced an apparent suicide attempt, according to organizers. Event staff members tackled him and removed the weapon before officers arrived.
Police said the man was arrested without further incident, and no shots were fired. A loaded firearm was recovered at the scene, sources confirmed.
Authorities said charges are pending. No injuries were reported among attendees or staff.
In a statement, the Wikimedia Foundation, which supports the volunteer community behind Wikipedia, confirmed the incident occurred during the second day of the WikiConference North America event.
“Participants at WikiConference North America are safe, and we appreciate the conference organizers and attendees who stepped in to help during the opening ceremony,” a Wikimedia Foundation spokesperson said.
The foundation said Friday’s program was canceled and that additional security and law enforcement officers would remain on-site for the rest of the four-day event.
The incident prompted an alert for a possible active shooter at Civic Hall, a technology and innovation center on East 14th Street, though police later confirmed there was no ongoing threat.
The NYPD said the investigation is ongoing and did not immediately release the Ohio man’s identity.