GASTONIA, N.C. — Two people were detained, ending an hours-long standoff on Wednesday in Gastonia.
SWAT was called to a home on Pryor Road around 9:30 a.m. for a call about a suspect with a rifle who locked themselves inside.
Police in Gastonia said they refused to come out.
Several officers in tactical gear staged themselves outside the home.
At 12:30 p.m., Chopper 9 Skyzoom was over the scene. Two people walked out of the home with their hands up. They were taken into custody.
One of those was the man whom the police were looking for.
Channel 9’s Ken Lemon is at the scene along West Airline Avenue. Roads in the area of North Pryor Street are closed.
The director of Gastonia Freedom School heard gunshots and called 911. There were three students in the small school. She told Channel 9 that they all ducked for cover. They managed to crawl their way to safety. Parents have picked up the handful of kids, and they are OK.
The school director said there are snipers in the backyard of her building.
She heard shots earlier in the morning.
No officers have been shot, Gaston Emergency Medical Services said on Wednesday morning.
Channel 9 learned there was a standoff at this home in 2023.
In that case, police said a man fired shots at another man and then barricaded himself in the house on Pryor Street. They said he pointed a gun at officers before eventually surrendering.
That suspect was released from jail earlier this month, but Channel 9 does not know whether he’s the same person involved in Wednesday’s standoff.
The Erwin Park Community Center is also closed until the situation is resolved.
No additional details have been made available.
This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates.
VIDEO: Suspect with rifle locked inside Gastonia home, refuses to come out
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