A brief standoff involving 11 children hostages finally ended early on Monday after the suspect stabbed himself in the neck. Police surrounded an Atlanta hotel and SWAT was called in after a still-unidentified man took hostages at the Rite4Us Inn & Suites in Atlanta, Ga. Authorities previously feared that the incident would escalate since up to 11 children were reportedly inside the hotel, St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.
It is not yet clear what precipitated the standoff, which the police now call a hostage situation, but initial reports point to a domestic dispute that began around 2 a.m. between the injured man and a woman who were staying in the Rite4Us Inn & Suites in the Decatur area in DeKalb County. The children who were held hostage included a three-month-old baby, according to CBS News.
The unidentified assailant barricaded himself inside his room and refused to let the children leave. Authorities evacuated the hotel before proceeding with the assault. The incident ended around 7 a.m., according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The wounded kidnapper was rushed to a nearby hospital and is currently in critical condition. The woman and the children were not injured.
