NEW YORK–UPDATE-With the hostage crisis in her New Hampshire office resolved, Sen. Hilllary Rodham Clinton holds a press availability in Portsmouth, NH Friday night at 9:15 Chicago time.
There is a hostage situation involving a bomb threat at the Hillary Rodham Clinton headquarters on Main St. in Rochester, NH.–and staffers in the Barack Obama’s office a few doors down have been evacuated, the Obama campaign said. A man walked into the Clinton office claiming to have a bomb strapped on his chest. MSNBC is reporting he wants to speak to Clinton.
The Clinton campaign released a brief statement: “There is an ongoing situation in our Rochester, NH office. We are in close contact with state and local authorities and are acting at their direction. We will release additional details as appropriate.”
The Manchester, NH Union Leader is updating. LINK
The paper is reporting: In an interview with WMUR, Lettie Tzizik, an employee of a nearby medical supply company, said a woman who had been released with her small child by the intruder fled to her nearby worksite to seek help. The woman said a man with pepper-and-salt hair in his 40s with what appeared to be a bomb duct-taped to his chest had entered the office and ordered everyone onto the floor
Clinton is in Des Moines. Obama, who started Friday in Manhattan, traveled to suburban Washington on Friday to appear before a meeting of the Democratic National Committee.
Obama and Clinton have Secret Service protection.
A Rochester police officer, Capt. Paul Callahaghan is telling MSNBC they are not releasing information about how many people are inside. A two-to-three square block downtown Rochester area and schools have been locked down and bomb squad and explosive unions called in.
Police are asking news organization taking pictures via news helicopters overhead not to broadcast live.
CNN is reporting that Clinton cancelled her DNC appearence where she was to appear via satellite.
@/Body.text: BC-Clinton Office-Hostages,0095 URGENT Police: Suspect is holding hostages in Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H. ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) A man claiming to have a bomb was holding one or more hostages at Hillary Clintons campaign office Friday, police said. Authorities were sending a tactical bomb unit to assist local police, and the area was evacuated, said Maj. Michael Handbrook of New Hampshire State Police. AP-CS-11-30-07 1403EST
