A gunman who took hostages at a Louisiana bank was shot and killed shortly after midnight Wednesday, after SWAT teams stormed the facility and put an end to a 12-hour standoff.
The gunman was identified as 20-year-old Fuaed Abdo Ahmed, ABC reported. He had shot two hostages, an unidentified male and female, before police killed him. Both victims were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. One died, Louisiana State Police said, and the condition of the other is not known. A third hostage was able to escape and is doing well, police said, in the ABC report.
The standoff started about 12:30 on Tuesday. Mr. Ahmed, originally from California, entered the bank and took three people hostage. His relatives helped FBI officials during the negotiation process that ensued, ABC reported.
Police say Mr. Ahmed was mentally ill and his intent was to do harm to the hostages. He told police during the standoff that he heard voices in his head, ABC reported. He had a duffel bag in the bank with him filled with items that he was going to use to torture his hostages, Louisiana State Police superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson said, to The Associated Press.
“His intent was to inflict pain and kill these individuals,” he said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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