Police shoot armed man who took hostages at Texas Walmart

AMARILLO, Texas, June 14 (UPI) -- A hostage situation police described as a "workplace violence type event" at a Walmart store ended Tuesday when police shot the gunman.

The armed man is "apparently dead" and the hostages are safe, police said Tuesday afternoon.

The gunman was shot by a member of the Amarillo Police Department SWAT team, police said in an advisory. The information was posted less than an hour after the initial report of the situation around noon.

Police shut down Interstate 27 and the Georgia northbound frontage road and urged motorists to avoid the area.

ABC 7 reported police were evacuating people out the west side of the building.