Loud 'boom' heard at Georgia hostage standoff
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley fired several guns during a visit to FN Manufacturing in Columbia Friday.
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Gov. Haley fires "quite a few" guns during visit to Columbia firearm manufacturer
Gov. Haley fires "quite a few" guns during visit to Columbia firearm manufacturer
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A current Columbia Police Department employee is speaking out about what she said is atypical and unexplained activity in the department.
A current Columbia Police Department employee is speaking out about what she said is atypical and unexplained activity in the department.
Navarro: Drugs found at prominent city figure's house, no action taken
Navarro: Drugs found at prominent city figure's house, no action taken
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office is warning those planning on attending the annual Coonfest Party this Saturday that deputies will be patrolling the water in "full force."
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office is warning those planning on attending the annual Coonfest Party this Saturday that deputies will be patrolling the water in "full force."
Sheriff: Deputies to be out in 'full force' at Coonfest
Sheriff: Deputies to be out in 'full force' at Coonfest
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Sources involved in the investigation into the Columbia Police Department confirm to WIS that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with State Law Enforcement Division agents. Both agencies are
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Richland County deputies are asking for the community's assistance in identifying the person or persons who randomly shot and killed a dog that was in a fenced yard.
An NFL cheerleader and former teacher has been indicted in Kenton County on allegations that she had sex with a student.
NFL cheerleader indicted for having sex with student
NFL cheerleader indicted for having sex with student
Twenty years ago on Sept 21, 1989, Hurricane Hugo's winds blew their way into the history books of South Carolinians as the category 4 storm made landfall in Charleston.
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Twenty years ago on Sept 21, 1989, Hurricane Hugo's winds blew their way into the history books of South Carolinians as the category 4 storm made landfall in Charleston. While
More than 20 years after Hurricane Hugo struck the Charleston area, the former mayor of Folly Beach is taking a look back on the storm that changed his city forever.
(Statesboro, Georgia-AP) January 17, 2006 - Reports from a hostage stand-off at an attorney's office in Statesboro indicate a loud boom has been heard in the area.
Police say a man and woman are holding the hostage and authorities at bay.
Reporters at the scene say they heard a loud boom about 6:00am coming from the site. Police have not said what caused the noise.
Police cordoned off part of downtown Monday after a lawyer was taken hostage in his office near City Hall.
The two suspects have told police they are armed with an explosive device.
Police identified one of the suspects as 43-year-old Robert Eugene Brower, a former client of the lawyer. Authorities have not released the name of the hostage, but broadcast reports identify him as Michael Hostilo.
In a news conference Monday night, Police Chief Stan York said Brower was angry about having been convicted in a criminal case in which the lawyer was his court-appointed attorney.
York would not elaborate on the couple's demands, saying they only wanted to call attention to the case.
City spokeswoman Maggie Fitzgerald said there were initially three hostages, but two of them were released unharmed.
Statesboro, a city of 22,000, is home to Georgia Southern University. It is about 50 miles northeast of Savannah and 225 miles southeast of Atlanta.
Posted 7:29am by Bryce Mursch
Map highlighting Bulloch County Georgia
A male and a female took 3 people hostage at a law firm in Statesboro, Georgia. Police  blocked off a part of this rural town on Monday. Two suspects , a man and a woman, took a lawyer hostage and claimed that they had explosives.

The suspects, Robert Eugene Brower, 43, a former client of the lawyer, and the female whose name was not released, gave up after demands for cigarettes and food were met and they spoke with a family member.

The standoff lasted for 24 hours and ended, "peacefully," at around 10AM said Larry Schnall, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol.  

The last of the 3 hostages to be released was identified as Michael Hostilo. He and the other two hostages were not injured. There is no word on the names of the other hostages.

Earlier reports stated that there had been a "loud boom" coming from the scene at about six o'clock this morning. Authorities have not stated what the booms were.

Police are now inside the building to locate and defuse the explosive device that the suspects claimed to have had.

Initially when police arrived, there were 3 hostages, but 2 had been recently released and were unharmed, said Maggie Fitzgerald, a city spokeswoman. "They are upset with some legal issues within the recent past and want to get those issues resolved. We are doing everything possible to end this situation without anyone being hurt."

In a news conference Monday night, Police Chief Stan York said Brower was angry about "having been convicted in a criminal case", in which the lawyer was his court-appointed attorney. York did not elaborate on the demands of the hostage-takers, other than saying, "they only wanted to call attention to the case."

Georgia State Trooper Larry Schnall, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said a SWAT team was sent to the scene. 

This morning authorities convinced the two suspects to give-up, but "incidents leading to an escalation resulted in some gunfire," Stan York in a press conference just moments ago. No one was hurt in the brief eruption of gunfire. 

Police later said when the suspects tried to surrender they became apprehensive and made a threatening gesture prompting authorities to draw their guns and open fire.

The standoff began at around 9AM on Monday.