JIM SUHR, Associated Press Writer
MACOMB, Ill. (AP) — Police say a man who opened fire in a western Illinois farm supply store and briefly took hostages has shot and killed himself. No one else was injured.
Macomb Police Chief Curt Barker says the man was found dead Wednesday evening in the housewares section of the Farm King store in Macomb.
Authorities and witnesses say the man fired a semiautomatic weapon inside the store earlier in the afternoon, sending terrified customers bolting for exits while others were kept hostage as police surrounded the building.
Barker says police don't know a motive but the gunman is not believed to be associated with the store. He isn't immediately naming the man.
Police had earlier helped two women, two men and a small child escape from an office inside the store.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MACOMB, Ill. (AP) — A man opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon inside an Illinois farm supply store Wednesday, sending terrified customers bolting for the exits while others were kept hostage as police surrounded the building, witnesses and authorities said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries at the Farm King store in the western Illinois city of Macomb, State Police Lt. Harry Douglas said. But the gunman and possibly hostages remained inside late Wednesday afternoon as a SWAT team surrounded the building, authorities said.
Richard Moulton of Macomb was shopping for a battery charger with his father when he heard four or five shots before a wide-eyed employee came around the counter to say there was a man with a loaded gun.
"We started looking for a way to get out really fast," said Moulton, who ran out a rear door with his father and hid behind a snow bank in the parking lot before taking refuge in a nearby hotel.
A Farm King employee called 911 just before 1 p.m. to report a man with a rifle inside the store. When police arrived someone shot at them from inside, said Macomb Police Chief Curt Barker. Police blocked off streets and warned people to stay inside.
Police helped two women, two men and a small child escape from an office inside the store at about 3:30 p.m., Barker told reporters. Two other people had left the building before them.
Shortly before the five people were released, Barker said an unknown number of customers and employees were believed to be inside the store. Police spokesmen weren't immediately available to comment after their release.
"From my windows, I can see half a dozen state trooper cars and Macomb police, and guys squatting with guns behind it," said John Gentry, the owner of Gentry Motor, which is about 100 yards away from the farm supply store. He added he wasn't concerned for his own safety and "police appear to have it under control."
Moulton, the customer, said he and his father had heard men arguing and then yelling in another aisle before the shots rang out.
"I heard him say to a guy, 'Get away from me if you don't want to get shot,'" Moulton said. "I couldn't make out what they were arguing about, but I said to my dad, 'Somebody sounds really mad back there.'"
Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead said he and police have the suspect's name, but neither would release it.
McDonough District Hospital dispatched ambulances to the scene as a precaution, said spokesman John Maguire. A large truck with "Homeland Security" on its side also was at the scene. Barker said police sent in a robotic device to scan the area but did not say what it showed, according to a (Peoria) Journal Star reporter.
Nearby Western Illinois University alerted its faculty and staff to avoid the street where the store is located. The campus remained open.
___
Associated Press Writer Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.
See earlier story version below.
MACOMB, Ill. (AP) — Authorities said a man opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon in a farm supply store on Wednesday, and that he kept hostages as police surrounded the building.
There were no reports of injuries at the Farm King store in the western Illinois city of Macomb, State Police Lt. Harry Douglas said.
Authorities said the gunman was still inside the store Wednesday afternoon, and a SWAT team had surrounded the building.
Two women, two men and a small child were released from the store apparently unharmed at about 3:30 p.m. and got into an ambulance, the (Peoria) Journal Star newspaper reported. Two other people left the building earlier in the afternoon.
Shortly before the five people were released, Macomb Police Chief Curt Barker said an unknown number of customers and employees were believed to be inside the store. Police spokesmen weren't immediately available to comment after their release.
Police received a 911 call just before 1 p.m. Wednesday from a Farm King employee who said a man with a rifle was inside the store, and when police arrived someone shot at them from inside, Barker said.
In addition to SWAT teams and police, a large truck with "Homeland Security" on its side also arrived at the scene.
Witness Richard Moulton was at Farm King shopping for a battery charger with his father when they suddenly heard someone arguing in another aisle and then yelling.
"I heard him say to a guy, 'Get away from me if you don't want to get shot,'" Moulton said. "I couldn't make out what they were arguing about, but I said to my dad, 'Somebody sounds really mad back there.'"
Seconds later, four or five shots ran out, and an employee came around the counter, wide-eyed, to say that there was a man with a loaded gun, Moulton said.
"We started looking for a way to get out really fast," he said.
He and his father bolted out of a rear door and into a parking lot, hiding behind a snow bank. He said police arrived within minutes and surrounded the building.
Employees in nearby businesses huddled inside offices, peering through windows at the scene of the standoff.
"From my windows, I can see half a dozen state trooper cars and Macomb police — and guys squatting with guns behind it," said John Gentry, the owner of Gentry Motor, which is about 100 yards away from the farm supply store.
Farm King employees in red uniforms could be seen leaving the area as police arrived earlier in the afternoon, Gentry said.
He added that he wasn't concerned for his own safety and "that police appear to have it under control."
McDonough District Hospital dispatched ambulances to the scene as a precaution, said John Maguire, director of public relations.
Western Illinois University alerted its faculty and staff to avoid the street where the store is located. The campus remained open.
Macomb is 183 miles west of Chicago.
Read more here at news.gather.com. Go here for coverage from The Quad City Times.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH