Updated Jan. 5, 2013, 1:46 p.m. EST
It was later confirmed by authorities that the gunman and three hostages were dead.
NBC News had reported today, Jan. 5, 2013, that a gunman was holding hostages in Aurora, Colo., the site of last summer's mass killing at the theater. 9News in Denver just tweeted that the gunman killed his four hostages before being killed by the police himself. Melissa Blassius of KUSA 9News in Denver has tweeted that one hostage managed to escape before being killed, and hopefully this is the case. The situation, which began with a 911 call around 3 a.m., has ended with four or possibly five people dead.
While details are still vague, there were reports of tear gas being used around the time the gunshots were fired. A puff of white smoke and the smell of teargas were noted in a tweet by Melissa Blassius, and she just tweeted that police have confirmed that the gunman refused to come out of his barricaded position even after teargas was used.
The details will emerge and be clarified as official statements are made. Be sure and click “subscribe” to stay updated.
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