Published: May 17, 2009 09:59 pm      

Hostage situation ends after 3 hours at Clinton store

CLINTON — A hostage situation at a Clinton store ended at about 9:40 p.m. Sunday with neither hostage believing to be injured.

Hostage negotiators were able to get the 23-year-old male suspect to surrender.

One of the two hostages — a male believed to be 19 or 20 years old — being held by a suspect at the Jewel-Osco Store at 1307 N. 2nd St. was released between 9 and 9:15 p.m., according to Clinton Police Capt. Mike Gertson, and hostage negotiators were able to get the suspect to surrender and release the other hostage — a female believed to be 19 years old — about a half-hour later.

The suspect was taken to Mercy North Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that appeared to be cuts, according to Gertson..

According to department officials, a 23-year-old male walked into the store at about 6:29 p.m. carrying a rifle. Either he or a store manager reportedly sounded a fire alarm to clear the building, and the suspect then took two employees hostage.

The suspect, who is believed to have either quit or been fired as a store employee recently, was believed to be holding the hostages in a second-floor break room. Gertson confirmed that there had been text-messaging going on between the suspect and someone away from the scene, but he did not go into any further detail.

In excess of 20 law enforcement officials were on the scene, including a tactical team, state police, local police, fire department officials, negotiators and the Gateway Area H.E.A.T. unit.

Traffic in the area was being rerouted. Police set up barricades on 2nd Street at 11th Avenue North and Roosevelt at 11th Avenue North. They set up barricades on 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th avenues at Pershing.