A man took a hostage in downtown Pittsburgh and had a standoff with police that eventually led to his surrender. To what might be the surprise of Mark Zuckerberg, Klein Michael Thaxton was actually posting to Facebook the entire time. Police Chief Nate Harper says that Thaxton posted about how he'd lost everything and that the hostage was ok. So, his Facebook friends were getting a blow-by-blow of the standoff, laying out every aspect of the event as it took place.
Police say that the 22-year old man was suicidal and had a military background. As one of the many soldiers who can feel lost in society without a gun, Thaxton was wondering if his life was worth living. The standoff started on the 16th floor of a benefits administration office. He allegedly took one of the managers hostage, but made no demands.
Thaxton's Facebook friends urged him to give himself up to the police. Someone also asked him to think about his mother. Let's hope that he gets the help he needs.
- Your Black World
