An armed suspect who barricaded himself inside a store in East Oakland surrendered to police Thursday following an hourslong standoff.
The man was wanted in connection to a double homicide in Oakland, police said.
Store employees were able to make it out of the building, except one worker who was taken hostage. The hostage was an employee at a shoe store at a strip mall on High Street, near Foothill Boulevard.
Police evacuated the shopping center, which includes a Cardenas food market and told people who live nearby to shelter in place. Sometime in the afternoon, police said the gunman shot off a round inside the store, but did not strike anyone.
The employee was released unharmed just before 2 p.m. thanks to a team of Oakland Police Department negotiators who made contact with the armed suspect.
Police said the incident began around 11:15 a.m. when officers attempted to arrest the suspect in the area, but the suspect then ran into a building.
