Update: Hostages Released, Suspect in Custody After Ariz. Mall Shooting

Update:

Two hostages have been released and one man taken into custody after a violent stand-off with police ended Wednesday afternoon outside of an Arizona mall.

The hostages, two female employees of a nearby Baja Fresh, were released unharmed and the gunman was apprehended after barricading himself inside the restaurant chain for more than an hour.

As we reported earlier, Daniel Perez, a wanted fugitive who was mistakenly released from jail last month, positively identified by an undercover task force who exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside the Chandler Fashion Center. But now, police are claiming the hostage-taker was not Perez. Instead, the gunman has yet to be identified by authorities. Perez's whereabouts remain unknown and it's not clear if he was involved in Wednesday's episode at all.

Hundreds of shoppers were evacuated from the mall when shots were fired outside the mall. (Click here to see video captured from inside the mall as shoppers were evacuated.)

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Police in Chandler, Ariz., have converged on a fast food restaurant near the Chandler Regional Mall after Daniel Perez, a man facing armed robbery charges who was mistakenly released from jail in mid-December, exchanged gunfire with undercover authorities early Wednesday. Fortunately, no one was injured in the shootout.

The local Fox affiliate reports that the nearby mall has been evacuated and several officers have positioned with guns drawn, surrounding a Baja Fresh restaurant. An armored vehicle is also on the scene and a tactical team has reportedly set up inside a nearby furniture store. Police have not yet entered the restaurant.

Click here for continuing live coverage from the scene.

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