Man in custody in connection with shooting threat at L.A. Times

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Los Angeles police talk to a man taken into custody in the lobby of the Los Angeles Times building in downtown Friday night after he allegedly made a threat. The man is an employee of VXI Global Solutions, a tenant in the building. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Officers escort the suspect to a squad car. He was later identified as Matthew Lowes, 28. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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The suspect, Matthew Lowes, allegedly handed his supervisor a bag of ammunition and told her, “I’m not afraid to shoot people, but I don’t want to go to jail.” Lowes is also believed to have told his supervisor that he was depressed and that he carried a weapon because he thought he was being followed. No gun was found. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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The Los Angeles Times building, directly across the street from LAPD headquarters, was placed on lockdown about 8 p.m. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Suspect Matthew Lowes, 28, works for VXI Global Solutions, which rents space in The Times building. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Times building workers wait for the all clear to return to their offices after the suspect was apprehended. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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No one was hurt in the incident. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

By Times Staff Reports

April 18, 2014 8:27 PM PT

Police have a man in custody in connection with a threat to start shooting at the Los Angeles Times Building.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, is not an employee of The Times but works for Vxi Global Solutions, which rents office space in the building.

According to witnesses, the man, who has not been identified, said he had been depressed, didn’t mind killing someone and said he didn’t want to go to jail. He reportedly handed one person a bag of bullets.

Employees throughout the building were placed on lockdown. Those who had left were not being allowed back in until the area was cleared.

metrodesk@latimes.com