Police: SWAT standoff at Cobb County home ends

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Police in Cobb County are trying to determine what led a man to take multiple hostages at a transitional home prompting a nearly 6-hour long standoff with a police SWAT team Tuesday.

Cobb County Police said were called out to the New Transition Rehab facility located on Arkose Drive about 10 a.m. for an on-going hostage situation. Police said the man initially had three hostages, but two escaped Tuesday. The third hostage, a woman, was not released until around 3 p.m., according to police.

“She is one of our residents and we are very scared, so we just stopped when we saw the police and the news vans to see if she has gotten out yet,” said Sarah McKay.

McKay and Natalie Rains were desperate for answers about the safety of their friend. The pair lives in another transitional house. They told FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor two other people were held at gunpoint overnight but escaped Tuesday morning.

“Apparently he had all the ammunition out and he said if the cops were called at any point or they tried to enter the house, he would kill all of them,” said McKay. “There was three people total who were held hostage. There was a male and two females. The female and the Male got out this morning and the second female is still in there.”

There was a massive police presence in the area all day, including SWAT members and a mobile command Unit. Many parents who had children at nearby daycare Young Einsteins Academy were concerned.

“All the kids are fine. nothing happens with the school. I was just concern because seeing all these police and stuff is kind of scary,” one parent said.

Residents McKay and Rains said they had encountered the gunman before and he seemed fine.

“He is one of the house managers at the house, so he is supposed to be taking care of the house essentially. So we do not know what happened to trigger this event,” said McKay.

Traffic along Arkose Drive at Windy Hill Road and Austell Road was blocked well into the afternoon.

Cobb County Police have not publicly identified either person inside. No word on charges.