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Five shot, 3 of them fatally, in Florida

building
A fatal shooting took place in this apartment building in Hollywood, Florida, on Friday  

HOLLYWOOD, Florida (CNN) -- Five people were shot, three of them fatally, in an apartment building here, police said.

One of the dead was a suspect, a 35-year-old man dressed in black who police said had entered the lobby around 10 a.m. and began firing. He then barricaded himself inside the building.

Two women, one 12 weeks pregnant, were in "stable but critical" condition after surgery for gunshot wounds at Memorial Regional Trauma Center, said Dr. Lawrence Lottenberg.

The pregnant woman had multiple gunshot wounds to her chest and arms, Lottenberg said. He said the injuries put the unborn child at high risk, but he is hopeful that both the mother and child will survive.

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He said the other woman suffered a skull fracture after being shot in the head.

Residents of the building and in the area were told to stay inside and a four-block area was cordoned off during the standoff with police, which lasted about an hour.

"We're letting the police officers -- trained professionals -- do their job," said police spokesman Carlos Negron shortly before the standoff ended. He said police were fired on as they responded to a report of a shooting at the building, at 1776 Polk Street.

"It was very scary," Helen Holmes told WSVN. She said she went out onto her second-floor balcony when she heard shots and glass breaking. "The police chased me back in."

She said she stayed inside, double locked her door, and listened to what was happening below. "He was yelling and screaming at the police."

Harry Mayhan, who lives on the fourth floor, said he was sitting in a nearby coffee shop when he heard gunshots. "I thought they were a car backfiring."

Police told him he was not allowed into the 12-story building while they searched it.



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April 26, 2001
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