ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) _ A deranged man wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office Friday, took several hostages and demanded to speak to the candidate, authorities said
The man released at least three hostages as the afternoon wore on, but nearly four hours after the standoff began, police said they were still dealing with a hostage situation and the man had not been taken into custody.
“We’re confident we have the resources available to end this safely,” Capt. Paul Callaghan said at a briefing. He repeatedly refused to say how many hostages were taken and how many remained.
Clinton was in the Washington area at the time, and extra security precautions were taken to protect the former first lady, who still has a Secret Service detail, said a law-enforcement official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation.
The man entered the simple storefront office along the town’s main street around 1 p.m., ordered people onto the floor and then let a mother and her baby leave, said State Police Maj. Michael Hambrook.
About two hours later, a woman in a green sweater was led away from the building by a SWAT team member. Authorities, some carrying shields and guns, had the building surrounded, and laid wiring up to the building’s entrance before the woman was released. It was unclear if the wiring helped authorities communicate with the suspect.
The office, in a town of 30,000, is one of many Clinton has around New Hampshire.
The suspect was an older man known around the town to be mentally unstable, the law enforcement official told the AP. He walked into the campaign office and opened his jacket, revealing what appeared to be a pipe bomb.
