October 21, 2009 11:05 PM
- Text
Gunman Holding up to 9 Hostages in Canada
(AP)
Police are negotiating with a gunman reported to be holding as many as nine hostages in the Workers' Compensation Board building in downtown Edmonton.
Edmonton police spokesman Jeff Wuite said authorities received a report Wednesday of a man armed with a hunting rifle inside the building, which is close to the legislature for the western Canadian province.
"Now that we have communication with the suspect, we feel good that we can move forward to resolving it," Wuite said. "We want to find out what this guy wants and what we can do to end this peacefully."
Police negotiators were prepared to take their time talking to the man, he added.
Wuite couldn't say how many hostages were involved.
But a worker who was evacuated from the fourth floor, four levels below where the standoff was taking place, said she was told there were nine people involved. The woman, who would only give the first name Nadia, said the evacuation was orderly.
Emergency police dispatchers received a call from the building at about 8:45 a.m. and quickly brought in tactical officers and negotiators.
Workers' Compensation Board spokeswoman Dayna Therien said they believe the gunman is a workers' compensation claimant.
WSB spokeswoman Jennifer Dagsvik said the eight-story office building has been evacuated, but that she couldn't confirm whether there were hostages.
Dagsvik said about 700 people work at the building, including case managers and claim adjudicators.
Edmonton police spokesman Jeff Wuite said authorities received a report Wednesday of a man armed with a hunting rifle inside the building, which is close to the legislature for the western Canadian province.
"Now that we have communication with the suspect, we feel good that we can move forward to resolving it," Wuite said. "We want to find out what this guy wants and what we can do to end this peacefully."
Police negotiators were prepared to take their time talking to the man, he added.
Wuite couldn't say how many hostages were involved.
But a worker who was evacuated from the fourth floor, four levels below where the standoff was taking place, said she was told there were nine people involved. The woman, who would only give the first name Nadia, said the evacuation was orderly.
Emergency police dispatchers received a call from the building at about 8:45 a.m. and quickly brought in tactical officers and negotiators.
Workers' Compensation Board spokeswoman Dayna Therien said they believe the gunman is a workers' compensation claimant.
WSB spokeswoman Jennifer Dagsvik said the eight-story office building has been evacuated, but that she couldn't confirm whether there were hostages.
Dagsvik said about 700 people work at the building, including case managers and claim adjudicators.
Popular Now in World
- Iran allegedly cuts off Internet access
- Pakistani fishermen reel in 40-foot whale shark
- Iran: We can attack U.S. interests "anywhere"
- Syria rebels bloodied, battered, but defiant
- "Voluptuous" Ukrainian nurse abandons Qaddafi
- Booze and bikinis in a new Egypt
- Girl with Two Heads Born in Philippines
- Cockpit error sent 737 into Pacific nose dive
- Israel To U.S.: Don't Delay Iraq Attack
- 23 women convicted of child pornography in Sweden
- GlobalPost: Qaddafi apparently sodomized
- Stephen Hawking: Heaven is "a fairy story"
- 130 Doctors Without Borders staff go missing
- Syria's Christians stand by Assad
- Greek Cruise Ship Sinks
- Costa Concordia wreck seen from space
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Money fund assets fall to $2.657 trillion
- Obama budget: New spending with recycled tax ideas
- Obama budget seeks to boost trade enforcement
- Obama budget seeks to boost trade enforcement
on Facebook
- Adele sings a cappella for Anderson Cooper
- Occupy protestors kicked out of CPAC
- CPAC: Will Sarah Palin spring a surprise?
- Beyonce and Jay-Z post first photos of Blue Ivy Carter
on CBS News
