Gunman Holds Firefighters Hostage in Georgia - East Idaho News
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Gunman Holds Firefighters Hostage in Georgia

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0451013 GeorgiaFirefighterHostage?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1365633703781ABC News(ATLANTA) — A barricaded gunman is currently holding four firefighters hostage inside a Georgia residence, according to authorities.

Gwinnett County police Wednesday said firefighters responded to what they thought was a routine medical emergency call at a home in Suwanee, Ga., when an armed suspect took five firefighters hostage. One of the firefighters was then let go.

Police are not releasing the names or identities of the suspect nor the firefighters, and are unsure of the gunman’s motive. Negotiations are ongoing, and it remains a “very fluid situation,” said Gwinnett County Fire Department spokesman Tommy Rutledge.

When there is the potential for violence, firefighters will normally wait for police to arrive, but there was “no indication that this call was anything other than a typical medical emergency,” Rutledge said. Once inside the home, firefighters notified their dispatch they were being held hostage, he said.

Firefighters in Gwinnett County are also trained to provide medical care.

Suwanee is about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta.

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