Pittsburgh Army Veteran Surrenders in Office Worker Hostage
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Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(PITTSBURGH) — The Pennsylvania military veteran who held a CEO hostage in downtown Pittsburgh today has surrendered and turned himself in to police custody.
“It is over. I feel very good and it’s a real blessing that no one was injured and no life was taken,” Pittsburgh police Chief Nate Harper said this afternoon.
The suspect, 22-year-old Klein Michael Thaxton, had stormed into the offices of CW Breitsman Associates this morning and taken the company’s owner, Charles Breitsman, hostage. Thaxton did not work for the company, which handles pension and benefit plans for other companies.
Police were unsure why Thaxton targeted Breitsman.
Thaxton told workers that he had a gun and explosives with him when he took Breitsman hostage. One witness said he was carrying a rifle, though police said they did not know what weapons he had with him.
Police said that SWAT team members had been planning to breach the room where Thaxton was holding Breitsman if Thaxton did not surrender.
No shots were fired and no one was injured during the situation.
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