Five Firefighters Held Hostage In Georgia; SWAT On Scene, Police Ask TV Reporters Stay Out

Five firefighters held hostage in Georgia right now, CNN and other major agencies report.

A “barricaded gunman” is holding five Gwinnet County, Georgia, firefighters hostage in Atlanta. A police spokesman has confirmed.

The hostage situation occurred after fighters have responded to a residence in Suwanee, Georgia “for some type of medical call”, Ed Ritter, Gwinnett County police spokesman said.

Limited television helicopter footage showed police and fire trucks around the neighborhood and most of the two-story homes and well-kept lawns in the neighborhood. The location is 35 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.

Ritter says information on the motive of the suspect was not immediately available and a SWAT team is on the scene, as reported by the Associated Press.

Due to the delicate situation, police have sent out a request to local TV stations to not send helicopters in the area. This is to ensure the safety of those involved in the situation.