Gunman who held four firefighters hostage in suburban Atlanta dead

Gwinnett County spokesperson Edwin Ritter tells the media that a flash-bang device was used, as there was concern for the firefighters safety, and that the gunman died after an exchange of gunfire during the rescue.

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News

A gunman who was holding four firefighters hostage outside of Atlanta was killed during a tactical operation, police said Wednesday.

Following a standoff, the Gwinnett County Police Department SWAT team entered the residence where a barricaded gunman was holding four firefighters hostage in Suwanee, Ga.

The gunman had taken five firefighters hostage but allowed one of them to leave to move the fire truck, police said.

As officers entered the home, a small explosion could be heard. Officials later said it was used to distract the suspect. The sound of gunfire followed.

One officer suffered a non life-threatening injury in the exchange, and the four firefighters have "superficial wounds," Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Edwin Ritter said. It is believed the suspect was killed by gunfire, he said.

The firefighters responded to a medical call with one fire truck and an ambulance around 3:41 p.m., police said. They came from a nearby station, officials said, and they were trained as both emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

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Local NBC affiliate WXIA reported that the house where the firefighters were being held hostage was foreclosed on in November and is currently bank-owned.

Ritter said that once the firefighters were taken hostage, the suspect demanded his power, cable and cell phone be turned on.

Suwanee is a suburban community about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta.

John Bazemore / AP

A police officer clears a path for an ambulance after an explosion and gunshots were heard near the scene where a man was holding four firefighters hostage Wednesday, April 10, 2013 in Suwanee, Ga. A police spokesman said the suspect was dead and none of the hostages suffered serious injuries.

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This story was originally published on Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:25 PM EDT

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