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State Police Kill Man Holding Hostages In St. Joseph Bank; One Hostage Killed

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Louisiana police shot and killed a man they say shot two hostages inside a bank. One of the hostages was killed.

Louisiana state police say the suspect planned the attack on the bank in the small community of St. Joseph, about 200 miles from New Orleans. They say he’d written a letter detailing the assault, which was not a robbery.

After a 12-hour standoff, police stormed inside. The 20-year-old gunman shot two hostages before he was shot and killed. The other hostage was taken to a hospital. Another had been freed before the gun battle.

Police identified the suspect as Abdo Ahmed. His family runs a service station near the bank. Police say the man believed he had a device planted in his brain and he heard voices. They’re investigating why he targeted the bank.

Eileen is a news reporter and producer for WWNO. She researches, reports and produces the local daily news items. Eileen relocated to New Orleans in 2008 after working as a writer and producer with the Associated Press in Washington, D.C. for seven years.

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