On Tuesday a young man who was tired of being homeless got a gun and took hostages in a office building on the west side of town. Although he fired several rounds into a glass door in order to gain access to a law office there were no other shots fired during the 5 hour ordeal. The young man instructed the secretary to call the police.
Police negotiators were able to convince the man to release all his hostages except the secretary. He held her hostage for the entire time. She was exceptional and kept him calm by discussing everything from politics to religion with the man. Anything he wanted to talk about she talked with him. He even allowed her to text her family to let them know she was safe.
Once the standoff was over and he was in custody he was polite and cooperative. He said he just wanted to go to jail. He was tired of being alone and on the street.
There is something so sad about this story!
One of my co-worker's husband was in that building and they have two very young children. His wife collapsed when she heard the news that he was a hostage and that shots had been fired. Those hours of waiting were hard for the families of the hostages.
But....I'm sad for the young man as well. I don't think he ever had the intention of hurting anyone. He just wanted to go to jail. Well, his wish came true.
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1 month ago
1 comment:
My first husband worked in a correctional facility and I know that it is not uncommon for people to get themselves jailed, especially as winter approaches. It is a very sad situation that there is so much homelessness in this country. It is deplorable, actually, the state of our social services and the inequalities.
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