Police: Ex-Fox Producer Kills Himself Outside News Corp. Building
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A former employee of a Fox television station in Texas shot himself to death outside the company's New York headquarters Monday, shortly after handing out fliers saying the company had ended his career, police said.
Philip Perea, 41, shot himself in the chest at around 9 a.m. Monday outside the building near Radio City Music Hall that houses Fox News, the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal.
Witnesses said they heard what sounded like the pop of a gunshot coming from the plaza in front of the News Corp. building at 1211 Sixth Ave. Moments later they saw a man's body slumped and propped up against a wall, CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported.
Perea was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a hospital.
Perea left a suicide note, authorities said.
A weapon was recovered at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
Perea was employed as a producer at a Fox News station in Austin until June, according to Fox officials. He worked at the station FOX7-KTBC for 10 months, according to a statement from Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television Stations, to employees.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragedy,'' he wrote.
A spokeswoman for Fox stations had no further comment. Fox is part of the media conglomerate News Corp., controlled by Rupert Murdoch.
Perea posted a series of YouTube videos online after his firing, and in one he said he was fired May 19 for "dubious reasons.'' The series was called "The American Workplace Bully,'' and it chronicles what Perea said was a management coverup of bad decisions.
"2014 was the worst year of my life,'' he said in last video, which was made with audio he said was taken from meetings with his bosses before he was fired. "It's time for Fox News to have the worst year of its existence.''
He also posted several Twitter messages on the subject. "Congratulations FOX, this is all the money I have left to my name, $104,'' he wrote last Thursday.
The medical examiner will determine the official cause of death.
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