A man was shot and killed by the FBI early Wednesday after holding 10 school employees hostage, including some who were tied up, and warning he had strapped explosives to himself and some of the hostages inside a Southern California office building, police said.
Authorities stormed the building in downtown Bakersfield and shot the suspect, ending a more than 15-hour standoff, police said.
The hostages — employees of the the Kern County Superintendent of Schools — were found unharmed inside the building that also houses a bank, said Bakersfield Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Blakemore.
“Throughout the night their families questioned whether or not they would be seen again but we are very grateful for the outcome,” Blakemore said during a news conference Wednesday.
Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41, was shot and killed around 4:20 a.m., according to Sid Patel, special agent in charge in the FBI’s Sacramento office. Authorities said he was an Army veteran who was dishonorably discharged, had a history of trouble with law enforcement and was a registered sex offender.
