Police Shoot Man at Louisiana Office

In Alexandria, Louisiana, police shot and killed a man early Friday in which he shot five people at downtown law office, killing two of them, authorities said. John Ashley, 63, a former city worker, was killed in the gunfight. Police used explosives to enter the building. The shootout ended a standoff that lasted about ten hours and and most of downtown was blockaded. Before the deadly shooting, the gunman had repeatedly fought off officers' attempts to reach the victims and shot at a remote-controlled police robot sent into the building.

Two of the wounded managed to escape, and police rescued a third. Police found the two dead after entering the building. The mayor refused to elaborate on motives of John Ashley's shooting, who was a retired city janitor. Many of the people that knew Ashley and had relations with him were astounded because he has been known as an amiable person that never raised his voice.

In America's history, this can be linked to the shootout in Los Angeles, however much less severe. In LA, many gunmen in body armor and automatic weapons held up a bank with several hostages. Many policemen were killed in the gunfight and most of the gunmen as well. It is known as one of the most malicious shootouts in United States history.