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The man who was shot by police Thursday after walking into a Baltimore TV station wearing an animal costume and a fake bomb vest has been described by his father as having a troubled mental history and possible suicidal tendencies. 

Speaking hours after the incident, Edward Brizzi told local media his son, Alex Brizzi, was the man inside the animal costume.

The 25-year-old was shot after threatening to detonate a bomb - which turned out to be made of chocolate bars wrapped in tinfoil - inside the Fox 45 offices. 

Brizzi, who according to his father had recently broken up with his girlfriend, told an office security guard he wanted the station to view the contents of a flash drive he was carrying.

The flash drive contained a video in which Brizzi argued the government is covering up the truth about 'black holes and the sun,' the security guard said. 

The astronomy-themed conspiracy theory appeared to be linked to what Brizzi's father said was a 'vision' that his son had. 

According to the father, Brizzi had a 'vision from God' that made him believe the world was going to end on June 3. 

After the police shooting, Brizzi was transported in serious but stable condition to a local hospital with gunshot wounds to the neck, wrist, leg and buttock, officials and family members said.

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Alex Brizzi, 25, was gunned down by Baltimore cops Thursday after he threatened a local TV station with a fake bomb

 

 

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Brizzi walks outside the Fox 45 offices in Baltimore, wearing an animal costume and a fake bomb vest

 

 

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The 25-year-old has had a history of mental issues and was possibly suicidal, his father said after the incident

 

 

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The bomb squad robot is seen taking the onesie and the vest off of the suspect. Police were using the device to try and get the suspect to remove his hands from the costume

 

 

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Brizzi was then seen walking outside the TV station's building shortly before he was shot by police

 

 

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A short time later Brizzi was gunned down by police after continually ignoring their orders. A bomb technician's robot is seen analyzing the scene

The father said his son is a 'nice kid' who probably 'had a mental breakdown' before donning the costume and entering the TV offices.

'Probably what happened was... He has no way of doing a bomb or anything. What he was doing was probably, putting himself out there, thinking that he wanted to die,' the father said when approached by a Fox 45 news team outside his Elkridge home.

The father said Brizzi recently 'had what seems like a nervous breakdown' and was caught sleeping in somebody's backyard. He normally lives in his father's basement.

'They called the police, and it took seven policemen to hold him down,' he said of the previous incident. 

After that arrest, Brizzi lost his job as a driver for his father's boss. He also recently broke up with his girlfriend, the father said. 

 

 

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Brizzi's father, Edward Brizzi, spoke to local media shortly after Thursday's incident. He said his son had been suicidal in the past 

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This social media photo shows Alex Brizzi dressed up as the character Marshall Lee from the animated TV show Adventure Time