Man Who Shouted During 'Fiddler On The Roof' Apologizes, Says Musical Reminded Him Of 'Hatred For Trump'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The man who shouted out "Heil Hitler, Heil Trump" during a performance of "Fiddler On The Roof" at The Hippodrome Wednesday night said the musical reminded him of President Donald Trump.
The man, identified as Anthony Derlunas, apologized Friday, saying he doesn't blame anybody but himself for what he did.
"I'm torn apart, I can't eat, I can't sleep, I said I'm sorry," Derlunas said.
He also said he'd been drinking that night.
"I ruined people's night, I upset people. I didn't mean to do any of that. It was a terrible, terrible mistake. I'm very sorry for it," Derlunas said.
Man Shouts 'Heil Hitler, Heil Trump' During 'Fiddler On The Roof' Performance In Baltimore
A police report stated that Derlunas told police that he had been drinking and his intention of the outburst was to express his dislike for Trump.
Derlunas said the final scene before intermission reminded him of his hatred for Trump, which he said caused him to stand up and yell "Heil Hitler, Heil Trump." He also said everyone around him got angry and he said he didn't realize there were so many Trump supporters.
Based on police interviews, Derlunas said that his intention was to express his dislike for President Donald Trump.
"I meant to put it in the light of a dictatorship where there's no compassion and mercy, and it came out where I ended up causing pain and fear and anxiety and I'm so sorry for that. I realized how insensitive it was. I almost immediately did afterward," Derlunas said.
Derlunas was notified by security from Hippodrome Theatre that he has been permanently banned from the location based on the incident.
'Fiddler On The Roof' Arrives At The Hippodrome Theatre In Baltimore
Witnesses said the man's outburst cause some to run out of the theater fearing there would be gunshots.
"People started running," Rich Scherr, a Baltimore Sun contributor, told the newspaper. "I'll be honest, I was waiting to hear a gunshot. I thought, 'Here we go.'"
Others were extremely offended by the man's comments and shared their thoughts on social media.
Nina Pachino, shared her feelings on Facebook Thursday and said people shouted back against the hateful remarks. Pachino said she stayed for the second act despite the incident.
"We refused to let the actions of one man stop us from living. But, the experience was tainted, at least for me. I could not stop my body from shaking and I kept looking around me, nervous something else was going to happen," Pachino wrote.
Derlunas was deemed not a threat and released by police.
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