Hillary Clinton campaign office hostage crisis (UPDATE)

By M&C US News Nov 30, 2007, 20:29 GMT

11/17/2007 - Hillary Clinton - Hillary Clinton Visits the Sheet Metal Workers Local 88 in Las Vegas on November 17, 2007 - Steel Workers Local 88 - Las Vegas, NV, USA © Erik Kabik / PR Photos

Two people held hostage at Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire, have been freed, CNN affiliate WMUR said Friday.

Neither hostage was harmed, another affiliate, WCVB, reported on its Web site.

CNN confirmed that at least one hostage has walked free, about two hours after the situation began.

A man walked into the office at about 1 p.m., Maj. Michael Hambrook of the New Hampshire State Police told CNN affiliate WMUR-TV.

Hambrook and Clinton campaign officials said two people were believed to be inside at the time.

Shortly before 2 p.m., police officers were gathered across the street from the office, some kneeling behind police cruisers with guns drawn.

Witnesses described the man as in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair, WMUR reported. It is believed he was still inside the Clinton office at 3:20 p.m.

Other people were caught up at the start of the hostage situation.

A woman with a baby was released by the hostage-taker early on, she told a witness, Lettie Tzizik, who spoke to WMUR.

"A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears, and she said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape,'" the Web site reported.

Bill Shaheen, chairman of Clinton's New Hampshire campaign, told WMUR that the people being held were volunteers.

"Hopefully, they're going to negotiate this so no one gets hurt," Shaheen said.

Clinton, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, is in the Washington area.

She was scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. at a Democratic National Committee event, but canceled the talk because of the situation.

"Unfortunately as some of you know, there is a hostage situation in New Hampshire involving a Clinton campaign staff person," Dean told those who had gathered for the event.

Buildings close to the storefront campaign office on Main Street were evacuated, including local campaign centers for Clinton's Democratic presidential rivals, Sen. Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards.