The situation remains tense at the Barona Resort and Casino near San Diego, where a gunman who once worked at the complex remains barricaded inside an office after releasing hostages he took earlier in the day.
The gunman reportedly stormed into the building that houses the offices of the gaming commission at the casino around 10 a.m. today, firing shots and taking several employees hostage. Sheriff's deputies from San Diego County evacuated, then surrounded, the building and a standoff ensued. About one hour into the standoff, the hostages taken by the gunman were released, though earlier reports had stated that some employees inside the building escaped through windows.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department SWAT team and a hostage negotiator are currently at the building. The gunman has been identified as 38-year-old Donnell Roberts, a former employee of the Barona Band of Mission Indians' Tribal Gaming Commission, which is housed in the building. Roberts was fired from his job in November for unspecified reasons.
So far, there have been no reported injuries stemming from the shootings or the hostage-taking. The hostages were all employees of the gaming commission, which oversees the casino run by the Barona tribe; however, no members of the tribal gaming commission were involved in either the hostage-taking or the shootings.
Patrons inside the Barona Casino and Resort have been told that they cannot leave the building. Reports from inside the casino depict the patrons as confused and uninformed about what is happening. One customer told the San Diego Union-Tribune that a casino staffer said that if there was anything to worry about, the staff would tell her.
As of this writing, the gaming commission offices remain surrounded, and counselors are inside the building trying to persuade Roberts to surrender peacefully. The casino itself remains cordoned off, and Wildcat Canyon Road, the one access route to the complex, is closed to general traffic.
Written by Sandy Smith
For HULIQ.com
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