Georgia Hostage Situation: Woman, 11 Children Rescued From DeKalb County Motel; Suspect Injured

A woman and 11 children were successfully rescued after being held hostage early Tuesday at a motel in DeKalb County, Georgia, local police reportedly said. Officers responded to a 911 call from the Rite 4 Us Inn and Suites on Snapfinger Woods Drive, Fox 5 News reported, citing police.

Local network Fox 5 reported that a SWAT team rescued the woman and the children. The suspect reportedly injured himself and is in a critical condition. He has been transported to a hospital, the network said on its Twitter account.

When officers reached the scene, they saw the man “armed with a knife and refusing to let the children or the other adult leave the room,” DeKalb police Chief John Conroy told Channel 2, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We backed out, notified our SWAT team.”

Conroy also reportedly said that the man barricaded himself inside the room and the hotel had to be evacuated.

A 3-month-old baby was the youngest hostage, WSB-TV reported, according to Reuters.