Gunman Takes Hostages in Discovery Channel HQ

Students kept him calm with talk of hunting, fishing, says witness

(NEWSER) - A teenage gunman who held 23 Wisconsin high school classmates and their female teacher hostage before shooting himself didn't seem to want to hurt anyone, said a witness. The 15-year-old shooter appeared depressed, and classmates tried to keep him calm by talking to him about hunting and fishing, hostage Zach Campbell told AP . "It was very scary. We just wanted to be on his good side," Campbell said. "But he didn't really seem like he wanted to hurt anybody." The standoff began when the teen fired at a projector while his Marinette High School classmates watched a film on Greek myths. The boy refused to talk to police, but they were in contact with the teacher. The teen ordered students to place their phones in the middle of the classroom and broke his own when it rang, said witnesses. More»

Suspect objected to network's programming

(AP) - Police shot and killed an armed man who took three people hostage in the Discovery Channel network's headquarters in suburban Washington today. All of the hostages escaped safely. Authorities say an explosive device may have detonated during the shooting, and other explosives may still be in the building. More»

SWAT and local police negotiating with hostage-taker in Pine Plains

(NEWSER) - A gunman holding an upstate New York school principal hostage has surrendered and is in custody, reports CNN . More than 100 police officers and a SWAT team negotiated with the gunman, who a local official said was a former student in his 40s. Pine Plains is located about 90 miles north of New York City. More»

(NEWSER) - At least 13 people have been confirmed dead in the hostage standoff in Binghamton, NY, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports. Police removed two men in handcuffs from the downtown building, but it remains unclear whether the seige at the American Civic Center is over. Police said more than 40 hostages were in the building this morning. More»

Ian Stawicki's family say they 'could see this coming' as death toll hits 5

(NEWSER) - The man suspected of killing five people and critically injuring one other in two shooting incidents in Seattle yesterday has died in hospital. The suspect, who shot six people in a cafe and another in a carjacking, has been identified as Ian Stawicki. The 40-year-old shot himself in the head as police closed in. The suspect's brother says Stawicki was mentally ill and they feared that something could go wrong. "It's no surprise to me this happened," he tells the Seattle Times . "We could see this coming. Nothing good is going to come with that much anger inside of you." More»