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Gunman kills hostage at Nasa base Gunman kills hostage at Nasa base
(30 minutes later)
Police in the US city of Houston, Texas, say a gunman at the Nasa space centre has killed one hostage before killing himself. A gunman has killed a hostage and himself during a stand-off at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, police say.
Capt Dwayne Ready said a second hostage was found at a building at the Johnson Space Center tied up with tape. Capt Dwayne Ready said a second hostage was found alive in the same building, tied up with tape.
Police were called to the scene at about 1340 (1840 GMT) after a gunman was reported and two shots heard.Police were called to the scene at about 1340 (1840 GMT) after a gunman was reported and two shots heard.
Capt Ready said an additional gunshot was heard as police were making contact with the suspect, a white male. Capt Ready said another shot was heard as police were making contact with the suspect, a white male aged 50-60.
A Nasa contractor, Jacobs Engineering, earlier told the BBC that one of its employees was involved in the incident. "As our Swat team members made entry," Capt Ready told reporters, "they did indeed determine that the suspect shot himself one time to the head.
"He appears to be deceased at this time. Also, on the same floor, there was one other hostage that was shot and another hostage that was unharmed and being looked at by our paramedics."
The survivor was female, while the dead hostage was male, he said.
Police could not confirm the identity of either the suspect or the hostages.
School securedSchool secured
The Houston police department told the BBC they had sent a helicopter, a canine unit and a special weapons team to the space centre. A Nasa contractor, Jacobs Engineering, earlier told the BBC that one of its employees was involved in the incident.
After the gunman was reported, Building 44, housing communications equipment and engineering offices, was evacuated and staff across the sprawling complex were told to remain inside their buildings.
The Houston police department told the BBC they sent a helicopter, a canine unit and a special weapons team to the space centre.
Negotiators were also on the scene and a bomb squad was sent as a standard precaution.Negotiators were also on the scene and a bomb squad was sent as a standard precaution.
The building, called Building 44, houses communications equipment and engineering laboratories.
The Johnson Space Center contains Nasa's mission control which oversees the agency's space flights.The Johnson Space Center contains Nasa's mission control which oversees the agency's space flights.
The centre's staff, numbering several thousand across the sprawling complex, were initially told to remain in their buildings but after several hours were allowed to leave the complex.
An intermediate school near the building was also secured for several hours.An intermediate school near the building was also secured for several hours.
The alert comes less than a week after a gunman killed 32 students and teaching staff at Virginia Tech university before killing himself. The stand-off came less than a week after a gunman killed 32 students and teaching staff at Virginia Tech university before killing himself.
The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says there has been a rash of security alerts across the US, which is also marking the eighth anniversary of the Columbine school massacre in which 15 people died.The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says there has been a rash of security alerts across the US, which is also marking the eighth anniversary of the Columbine school massacre in which 15 people died.
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