A Trump Tower climber was captured Wednesday after using suction cups to scale the building up to the 21st floor.
New York Police pulled the man into the building around 6:35 p.m. after removing a window pane on the 21st floor of the 68-story building, stated ABC News. The man started scaling the outside of the building using five suction cups, ropes, and a climbing harness at the fifth floor atrium.
The New York Daily News reported that the climber was identified as Michael Joseph Ryan, 19, of Great Falls, Virginia, who apparently had recently changed his name to Stephen Rogata. He evaded cops while climbing the Fifth Avenue building for three hours before they were able to corral him.
Witnesses said that the climber dropped a notebook and a computer at different points during his climb, reported the Daily News. He was described by the Daily News as a "bonehead" and "crackpot" while the New York Post called him a "kook."
According to the New York Post, the climber posted a one-minute video on YouTube under the name Leven Thump, a name from a children's fantasy book series, explaining why he climbed Trump Tower.
"The reason I climbed your tower was to get your attention," he said on the video, talking directly to Donald Trump. "I'm an independent researcher seeking a private audience with you to discuss an important matter. I guarantee it is in your interest to honor this request. Believe me if my purpose was not significant I would not risk my life pursuing it."
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was not in the tower at the time of the climb but posted a message on Twitter congratulating police for nabbing the climber without injuries.
Many on social media took a humorous view of the Trump Tower climber.
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