UPDATE: Armed Standoff at Casper Super 8 Over, Hostages Released, Suspect Hospitalized [PHOTOS and AUDIO]

Updated 5:00 pm

A hostage situation at Casper’s Super 8 Motel on CY Avenue has been resolved.  Around 4:00 p.m., the day-long armed-standoff ended.  Casper Police Chief Chris Walsh said early Tuesday morning, reports came in that six people were in the motel room, including an armed suspect.  The other five people were initially believed to be hostages, and law enforcement officials were able to negotiate their release throughout the day.  None of the alleged hostages were injured.  Around 3:00 p.m., officers fired chemical agents into the  room where the suspected gunman was holed up.  Around 4:00 p.m. the suspect was taken into custody.  The suspect, a man whose identity has not been released, was taken to Wyoming Medical Center for treatment of undisclosed injuries.  Police remain on the scene, and more details are expected to be released Wednesday.

Click the play button to hear from Casper Police Chief Chris Walsh describe the situation:

Updated 1:45pm

New details are emerging about the ongoing armed-hostage situation at the Casper Super 8 Motel on CY.  Casper Police Sgt. Deahn Amend tells K2 Radio that 4 people have been released from the room.  She also said that an explosion was heard early Tuesday morning, but it’s not yet known whether that was a gunshot or some sort of firework.  Police are not releasing any details about how many people are left in the room.

Updated: 11:30am

Casper Chief of Police Chris Walsh has confirmed that the police standoff at the Super 8 Motel in Casper is a hostage situation.

According to Chief Walsh, two hostage have been released, but an unknown number of armed suspects still hold an unknown number of hostages in the hotel.

The Casper Police-Natrona County Sheriff Joint Task Force is on the scene and officials continue to negotiate the release of additional hostages.

The situation at the CY Ave. Super 8 Motel has forced the lockdown of several local schools on the first day of school and Wyoming’s primary election day. In addition to CY Middle School, Fort Caspar Academy, Transitions Learning Center and Quality Child Care have been locked down as a precaution. Chief Walsh stresses that no students are in any danger.

At the request of Casper Police, the Wyoming Department of Transportation has closed Wyoming Boulevard from Fairside Road to CY Ave.

There has been at least one two-vehicle crash on CY ave. near the Super 8 Motel.

The hotel has been evacuated except for one room and according to eye-witnesses, at least one woman has been escorted from the building in handcuffs.

Stay with K2 Radio for the latest on this developing story.

K2 Radio’s Brian Scott, Rich Denison, Kevin Koile and Tom McCarthy contributed to this story.