TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—A hostage situation at an office of Alabama CU on the University of Alabama campus has been resolved peacefully without anyone being injured, according to reports.
Eighteen-year-old Cederick Lamar Collins allegedly walked into the credit union around 8:30 a.m., and with a gun in hand demanded money, according to reports. Collins was stopped by University of Alabama police and subsequently took hostages.
Eleven hostages were held for two hours. No members were in the credit union at the time, reports indicate. Authorities were able to breach the building once they determined that the suspect was not in the same part of the business as the hostages, authorities reported. Collins has been arrested.
Before the situation was resolved, local businesses were ordered to close and the University of Alabama Law School building was placed on lockdown.
Collins has been charged with first degree robbery, with additional charges likely to follow. The Tuscaloosa County Public Defender's Office confirms that Collins is the same suspect in a 2015 rape and kidnapping case. Court documents show Collins was out on bond for the 2015 case, WBRC reported, The Tuscaloosa District Attorney's office has filed a motion to revoke Collins' bond in the 2015 case.
It’s the second time in two months that a credit unions has faced a hostage situation.
As CUToday.info reported here, 23-year-old Nicholas Daquan Humphrey in December allegedly attempted to rob a branch of Community First Credit Union during which he also held nearly a dozen people hostage. Two people who were able to escape the credit union called police. A SWAT team eventually responded, and following what it said was a verified report that Humphrey had allegedly put a gun to the head of one of those being held, stormed the building, freed the hostages and captured Humphrey. No one was hurt.