A kidnapper armed with a handgun was shot dead on the spot in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Sunday, the regional police authorities said.
According to the police, the suspect, surnamed Zhou, took three people hostage in Xincheng District of Hohhot, the regional capital, at around 11 a.m. Sunday.
Zhou was armed with a self-made gun and explosive devices, and threatened to shoot the hostages. The police killed the suspect at around 7:15 p.m. and defused the explosives.
The hostages were rescued. Further investigation is ongoing.
