ST. LOUIS – A man accused of holding a woman and two children hostage Wednesday for several hours at a Downtown St. Louis hotel faces 11 felonies.
Prosecutors have charged William Gourley, 43, with five counts of armed criminal action, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
The hostage situation emerged early Wednesday morning at the Drury Plaza Hotel, located near the Gateway Arch at 4th and Market streets.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department received word that an armed man, later reported to be Gourley, was holding a woman and two children in a room. The children were locked in the bathroom while Gourley and the woman were reportedly arguing in the room.
One of the children called 911 around 5:15 a.m. Police say Gourley later spoke on that phone call and stated that he was armed with a weapon. After that call, police evacuated a portion of the building as the SWAT team arrived, along with hostage negotiators.
The children were released from the room at 6:15 a.m. Gourley allegedly held the woman hostage in the hotel room until just before 3:45 p.m. The man peacefully stepped out about an hour later. No one was seriously injured.
Police said Gourley and the woman he held hostage know each other, but to what extent remains unclear. Court documents released Friday did not disclose a potential motive in the standoff.
Gourley is jailed in the City of St. Louis without bond. Missouri court records have not yet listed any dates for court proceedings.
