Va. post office hostage drama ends without bloodshed

According to The Associated Press, Wytheville Mayor Trent Crewe confirmed Wednesday that five people, three postal workers and two customers, were taken hostage after a man entered the Wytheville, Virginia, post office about 2:30 p.m.

Crewe said shots were fired but no injuries were reported.

Wytheville is the county seat of Wythe County in southwest Virginia, with a population of about 8,000.

Daylong standoff ended peacefully
According to CNN, a daylong hostage standoff ended peacefully when the armed, disabled hostage-taker surrendered out of a post office and was taken into custody.

Citing Wythe County Sherrif's Office Chief Deputy Keith Dunagan, CNN reports that the alleged gunman, identified by police as Warren "Gator" Taylor, of Sullivan County, Tennessee, surrendered in a wheelchair.

The almost nine-hour ordeal finally ended without bloodshed, Mayor Crewe said.

All three hostages walked out without injury. "All of them are all right, thank God," Crewe said, taking a sigh of relief. "I am elated that it's over."

"We're just grateful it ended peacefully," the Associated Press quoted Police Sgt Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police as saying.

"This is just the best outcome we could hope for."

The two hostages are identified as 47-year-old postal employee Margie Austin and 41-year-old Wytheville resident Jim Oliver. The identity of the third hostage was unknown late Wednesday.

Disabled hostage-taker
Sgt Conroy said Taylor entered the Wytheville post office at about 2:30 p.m. local time, pushing a wheelchair with a black duffle bag on the seat.

According to Dunagan, Taylor is missing a leg and wears a prosthetic.

Pete Rendina, spokesman for the US Postal Inspection Service, said the FBI and the Virginia State Police negotiated with the alleged hostage-taker by telephone but he made no demands other than a request for a pizza.

Explosives still not confirmed
There were reports that Taylor reported to have told the police that he had a military background. He was carrying explosives that prompted local police to cordon off the area around the post office located on Main Street.

The Wytheville Enterprise newspaper, citing police on the scene, reported that previously Taylor entered the post office with five pounds of C-4, and a plastic explosive strapped to his wheelchair.

But, Mayor Crewe said, "We cannot confirm any explosives."