Malaysian police have freed 30 pre-school children and their four teachers hours after they were taken hostage Thursday by a hammer and machete-wielding man in southern Jolor state.
Police fired tear gas and stormed the building after several hours of negotiations had failed. The standoff ended when a police sniper shot and wounded the suspect.
All of the hostages were freed unharmed.
The Malaysian Star newspaper says the man barged into the kindergarten wielding a hammer. Police say he threatened to kill the children if negotiators did not give him a gun.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.