3 bank employees held hostage in Louisiana

English>>World

Editor's Pick

3 bank employees held hostage in Louisiana

(Xinhua) 13:20, August 14, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

HOUSTON, Aug. 13 -- Three bank employees were held hostage by an armed man in the U.S. state of Louisiana Tuesday and one of them was later released while authorities kept negotiating with the gunman, local media reported.

The gunman, identified as a 20-year-old man whose family owns a store across the street from a Tensas State Bank branch in St. Joseph town in northeast Louisiana, took two female tellers and a man captive about 12:30 p.m. local time, local media NOLA reported.

The gunman is believed to carry at least a handgun and has been "calm", authorities said. He made "some demands" but authorities wouldn't describe the demands or further identify the man.

After hours of negotiations with the gunman, one female teller was released unharmed. Authorities who has been talking with the hostage-taker and the hostages said they had no reason to believe anyone has been hurt.

Police and other first-responders are at the scene and negotiators are still talking with the gunman, the report said. There is no sign that the standoff may end soon. More law enforcement people and equipment are expected to be brought in.

（Editor：LiangJun、Zhang Qian）