A gunman who barricaded himself inside a booby-trapped home after police officers rescued two hostages has been taken into custody.
Police in Boulder, Colorado, advised members of the public to stay away from the crime scene of Broadway, near Iris, while neighbours were evacuated.
The male suspect was said to have been armed with two AK47 assault rifles while local media suggested he placed an explosive device on his dog, before he was taken into custody.
The force wrote on its Twitter account: “Suspect in custody. Please continue to avoid the area while we process the scene. We will tweet when the intersection is back open.
"This incident began when Boulder Police received information from @LafayettePolice about a possible hostage situation inside the city.
“Officers responded to the scene & rescued two people from inside the home.
“During the rescue, one officer fired their gun. No one was struck. Though the victims were rescued, the suspect then barricaded himself inside the home.
“He is believed to be armed with multiple firearms. Officers are evacuating people nearby and working to take him safely into custody. Please avoid the 3300 block of Broadway near Iris."
The force added: “We are currently responding to a man barricaded inside a residence. This is a very active scene and more information will be coming shortly
“We will be sharing a more detailed update shortly. At this time we have no confirmed reports of any fatalities at this scene.”
Pictures taken at the scene showed a huge number of emergency service vehicles outside the property.
One neighbour wrote: “Local neighbors & friends…view from my neighbour's window. My view is blocked by trees, but I see the glow and hear the commotion. Apparent hostage situation.
"Witnessing it live. Very scary! C’mon #Boulder, we’re a peaceful community."
Another added: “My gosh, the reports & locations… Boulder it feels like COVID triggered us into a horrible new era in American culture that we are seeing grow more obviously in a small town, it’s really sad.
"It’s frustrating how complex and out of control solutions to change seem to be.
“I am again grateful for @boulderpolice and the group going into this, I’m listening to the police scanner and literally shocked! Stay safe."
