Police: 4 dead, including gunman in Aurora, Colo., hostage situation

NBC News

Three people were found dead inside a home in Aurora, Colo., after a gunman took them hostage early Saturday morning, police told NBC affiliate KUSA. The gunman was also shot and killed by police after hours of failed negotiation attempts.

By NBC News staff

Updated at 12:45 p.m. ET:?Three people were found dead inside a home in Aurora, Colo., after a gunman took them hostage early Saturday morning, police told NBC affiliate KUSA. The gunman was also shot and killed by police after hours of failed negotiation attempts. ?

Another person who had been inside the house was able to escape and alert authorities, KUSA reported.

Officers were called to a town home around 3 a.m. after reports of shots fired. Several nearby homes were evacuated for safety reasons and police sent out emergency notifications for the other residents in the area.

Sgt. Cassidee Carlson of the Aurora Police Department told KUSA police had spoken on the phone with the suspect, and negotiators were at the scene.

It is unclear whether the people were related to each other or knew each other.

Aurora, the city that was the scene of a mass shooting last summer, was stirred this week by news that the theater in which 12 people were killed and 58 were wounded was reopening. The movie house chain's owner invited the victims? families to a special event marking the Jan. 17 reopening, sparking their outrage and a threat to boycott the event on social media.

Also this week, a judge set a preliminary hearing for accused Colorado movie theater gunman James Holmes for Monday. The hearing is expected to last the entire week. Hundreds of people, including victims, their family members, and members of the public are expected to come.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/05/16367150-police-4-dead-including-gunman-in-aurora-colo-hostage-situation?lite

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