Student Holds Hostages in Band Room

At around 11 a.m. this morning, a student was taken into custody at Las Plumas High School in Oroville, California, after holding people hostage at gunpoint for almost two hours. The 17-year-old male allegedly walked into the band room of the school at 9 a.m. and fired shots from a handgun into the air. He initially took about 30 hostages, including students of the school and one teacher. According to Police Captain Jerry Smith, the young man quickly released most of them with the exception of three, and his only demand to deputies during this time was for them to "back off." A swat team was called in, and a message posted on the Oroville Union High School District's website announced the lockdown of the district's six schools during the incident. No one was injured and all hostages have been accounted for.