A man who held 10 school district employees hostage inside a downtown Bakersfield office building was shot and killed by FBI personnel early Wednesday, bringing an end to a nearly 16-hour standoff that prompted a large-scale law enforcement response in Southern California.
Authorities said Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41, barricaded himself on the second floor of the building Tuesday afternoon, claimed to have explosives, and tied up several hostages before negotiations stalled overnight.
All 10 hostages were freed without physical injuries, according to officials.
The standoff began after police received reports of a bomb threat at the multi-story office building, which houses offices of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and a Chase Bank branch.
Officials said Searles-Harris took 10 employees hostage and later released two of them during negotiations.
Law enforcement teams, including FBI crisis negotiators, bomb technicians, SWAT units and a hostage rescue team, were deployed to the scene.
Authorities said the suspect claimed explosives were attached to himself and some hostages, and investigators confirmed devices were present.
Five hostages had been tied up during the ordeal.
One hostage remained in contact with authorities by phone for part of the standoff, helping provide updates from inside the building.
After negotiations reached an impasse and concerns grew over the safety of those inside, authorities launched a rescue operation around 4:20 a.m.
Searles-Harris was shot and killed during the intervention and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials said a motive remains under investigation.
Authorities indicated that some of the suspect's demands were connected to concerns about a previous court case and materials related to it.
Police said they do not believe the employees of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools were the intended targets.
Searles-Harris was known to law enforcement and was listed on California's sex offender registry following convictions in 2014 involving a child under 14 years of age.
Officials also said he had served in the U.S. Army before being discharged and had a history of legal troubles.
Nearby government buildings were evacuated and roads were closed during the incident.
The surrounding area remained restricted Wednesday as investigators continued examining devices recovered from the scene and reviewing evidence connected to the standoff.