Some craziness in Valpo today - hostage situation?

[MilitaryArms]

We just got a call from a person we know who said that the police are running around in Valpo over by the Prudential building with guns drawn, and there's a hostage situation.

Shots were fired in the building according to news reports.

Cops with guns drawn surround Valpo real estate office : Valparaiso News

 

[Boiler1529]

Craziness.

 

[stack23]

yeah they have the streets blocked off

 

[rambone]

Armed man with hostages in the Prudential building. It is right on the busiest intersection in town, blocking off a 5-way intersection. Local SWAT and the FBI (wtf?) are on the scene. Two helicopters hovering overhead. Tons of people standing around gawking. Not much action that I could see.

Cops: Gunman with hostages remains in Valpo office : Valparaiso News

 

[Hammerhead]

OC event?

 

[MilitaryArms]

Are you up there Rambone? I could come up, I've been thinking of going up to Kmart with a telephoto lens and shooting some pics.

 

[rambone]

Are you up there Rambone? I could come up, I've been thinking of going up to Kmart with a telephoto lens and shooting some pics.

I just passed by on my way to lunch. You should be able to see a good deal of the scene from Kmart.

 

[IN_Sheepdog]

Been by there twice going to a school for a play... Crazy traffic and LEO's everywhere...
Updates forthcoming

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Anyone with a scanner up there?

 

[indyjoe]

Not seeing an active scanner on Radio Reference:

Valparaiso

155.62500 KSA547 RM 141.3 PL ValpoPolice Police FM Law Dispatch

They just list this incident:
SWAT/ERT
05/25/12 14:30(VALPARAISO - HOOSIER SAFE-T) GUNMA HOLDING HOSTAGES AT LOCAL REALESTATE OFFICE. FBI AND VPD ON SCENE [IND018]

 

[cosermann]

It's front page on FoxNews.com now.

 

[MilitaryArms]

It's front page on FoxNews.com now.

Yup, I just got a text from a buddy in Kansas saying it's made national news... I looked at Fox and there it was on the front page.

We're big time now!

 

[rambone]

I heard that its over. Suspect down. No hostages seriously injured.

 

[MilitaryArms]

I still hear the helo over there. The news sites aren't reporting it being over yet. Can you see what's going on? I wish I wasn't laying here with a freshly cut hole in my gut so I could run over there to be nosy.

 

[KLB]

Channel 7 showed press conference which said all hostages are out, but gunman is not.

 

[rambone]

I still hear the helo over there. The news sites aren't reporting it being over yet. Can you see what's going on? I wish I wasn't laying here with a freshly cut hole in my gut so I could run over there to be nosy.

I'm not on the scene. I have a colleague that knows some of the Prudential employees.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Yup, your source was correct. Now it's just the gunman inside. This should be over soon.

I bet the guy is feeling kind of dumb right about now. He's thrown his entire life away being stupid. At least no one died.

 

[KLB]

He shot himself twice, all done.

 

[hornadylnl]

Prudential buy a lot of Facebook stock?

 

[bullfrog4ever]

The suspect supossedly shot himself twice in the head, literally just before SWAT rolled in with flash-bangs and broke through a window. He was taken to Porter Memorial in critical condition. Crazy today...

In one shot from the Fox Helo, you can see the SWAT sniper and his spotter get on the roof of Midas and get into position.

And the irony of the whole situation? Valparaiso Police were holding a fundraiser across the street in the K-Mart parking lot...

I'm glad no innocent people were hurt seriously today... I believe only one lady had a small head injury from being hit by the suspect.