Ind. gunman who took hostages dies after shooting himself

Click image to see more photos. (AP/The Times of Northwest Indiana, Jon L. Hendricks)

A gunman who had taken hostages in a real estate building in Indiana before shooting himself, has now died according to The Associated Press.

The AP reports that the gunman shot himself twice in the head after an hours-long standoff in which he held as many as 10 hostages in an office building in Valparaiso, Ind., 30 miles from Chicago. The SWAT team stormed the office shortly after the gunman released the last hostage. Police say they believe he shot himself before they entered the building.

One of the women held hostage was treated at a hospital. The man used the gun to hit the woman, according to Fox Chicago.

At a news conference earlier today, officials said they believed a disagreement about money triggered the standoff, and the local sheriff, state police, SWAT and the FBI got involved.

Police know the man's identity, but have not yet released it.

The timeline, according to ABC News, CBS Chicago and Fox News:

- Armed man arrived in Prudential building after 10 a.m.
- 911 call from Prudential building between 10:30 and 11 a.m.
- Police arrive to find gunman and evacuate some people from the building
- Three area schools within a two-mile radius are placed on "modified lockdown"
- Fox News reports that a lone male hostage is the "target"
- All hostages were released by 4 p.m., only the gunman remained inside
- Gunman shoots himself in the head
- SWAT team storms office where gunman holed up

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