Sam Baily, a former museum security guard, is fired from his job and returns to the museum armed with a shotgun and dynamite, taking his former boss, Mrs. Banks, and a group of schoolchildren on a field trip hostage. Inside the museum, local TV journalist Max Brackett happens to be there, just after an interview about the museum’s financial troubles, and he quickly becomes drawn into the crisis. He steps in as the intermediary between the hostages inside and the outside world, trying to keep communication open with the police.
The tense situation escalates when Sam Baily accidentally shoots his friend Cliff, another security guard, sending him to the hospital. He fires again later, heightening fear among the children, and he relies on caffeine pills to stay alert. Amid the growing media attention, Brackett, along with a young intern named Laurie, starts reporting the story on television, which revives Brackett’s stalled career. Through his ability to move about the museum, Brackett negotiates with a national network and its star news anchor, Kevin Hollander, a figure with whom Brackett has an uneasy history.
Sam Baily refuses to accept jail and longs to return home to his wife and kids, while Brackett pursues the best possible story for his station. He strikes a deal to keep Hollander from getting the access he desires, which leads Hollander to publicly accuse Brackett of prolonging the crisis and endangering the children. Laurie betrays Brackett, showing that she, too, will do whatever it takes to advance her own career.
When Cliff dies, Sam Baily begins to realize how much he has lost. The hostage situation deteriorates as Brackett and Baily let the crisis worsen, until the police issue a five-minute ultimatum for the release of the hostages. Baily finally allows the children and Mrs. Banks to go. He also sends Brackett outside to persuade the police to lower their guns so he can personally usher out Baily. But instead of surrendering to prison and his wife, Baily seals the doors of the museum on Brackett, who is outside trying to persuade the authorities.
Brackett’s attempts to coax Baily out fail, and he remains inside. Unaware of Baily’s plan, Brackett watches as the explosives are set off and Baily commits suicide. The blast flings Brackett to the pavement in the parking lot, with reporters swarming to ask for a comment on the events. In the aftermath, Brackett can only reflect, “We killed him,” a stark line that underscores how the media’s handling of the crisis contributed to the tragedy.
