Indians For Guns

VENICE (Bay News 9) -- Two masked men armed with guns held 15 employees at a Venice T.J. Maxx department store hostage for about three hours Tuesday night.


Somehow, the gunmen managed to escape as SWAT team members entered the store to help the hostages.

Seven of the hostages left the store unharmed before SWAT members entered. One hostage - a 16-year-old girl who had been hiding from the gunmen - was injured and dragged out of the store on a blanket.

The drama started just after 9:30 p.m. when reports came out that gunmen had taken over the store.

By 10 p.m. SWAT team members from the Sarasota Sheriff's Office had surrounded the building.

Three of the hostages managed to run out of the building a short time later. Just after midnight, four more hostages exited the building. SWAT officers then entered, searching for any remaining hostages and the gunmen.

After searching the building for a little more than an hour, no gunmen were found.

Officials said the gunmen tied up some of the hostages but it was unclear what their demands were.

Authorities are still investigating the incident and actively searching for the gunmen.