grandriver/iStock(ATLANTA) — Three people are dead, including an alleged hostage taker, after a day-long standoff in Georgia. A pregnant woman and her teenage son were killed, according to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.
Two police officers were also injured in the incident, authorities said.
The standoff, which began just before 11 a.m. in Henry County, a southeast suburb of Atlanta, crawled on for 15 hours before police entered the home and found three people dead inside, WSB reported.
The two police officers were shot when they responded to the home Thursday morning. Both are in stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital. One officer was shot in the hand and another was struck in the hip, police said.
Authorities had been hopeful the suspect, who had taken a teenager hostage inside the home, would release him. The sister of the pregnant woman told WSB she had found her dead and called police, triggering the standoff.
“We’re hoping he was going release the 16-year-old. He said he would, and we’re just standing by waiting,” Henry County Police Capt. Joey Smith told WSB while the standoff continued Thursday night.
Police believe the suspect shot himself.
At about 11 p.m., police said the suspect was continuing to surrender and “refused to provide proof of the well-being of a female and 16 year old inside [the] residence.” Authorities decided to fire several gas canisters into the home, at which point the suspect fired back at SWAT officers outside the home.
No officers were injured in the evening’s events, Smith said.
Police entered the home at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, when they found the three bodies.
Earlier in the evening, Smith had said they did not want to enter the home as long as communication with the suspect continued.
“We do not want to make a dynamic entry into the home,” Smith said at a press conference. “With communication with the individual, at least he’s talking — that’s helpful. We’re going to wait as long as we can.”
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr thanked police officers for their service, saying on Twitter, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Henry County Police officers who were shot today while putting their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.”
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