Police surround a bank near the University of Miami, say there may be a bomb inside

Police say possible bomb inside Florida bank

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — South Florida police say there’s one person and possibly a bomb inside a bank near the University of Miami.

However, police could not confirm whether there were any hostages inside the Bank of America in Coral Gables, as initially reported.

Police Sgt. Janette Frevola says there is one person inside the bank, but investigators are not sure if that person is a victim or a suspect. She could not say whether the hostage negotiations team called to the scene still had contact with the person.

The Bank of America branch is near the University of Miami. The university sent an alert to students warning them to stay away from the area, and some local elementary schools have been locked down as a precaution.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Police say a robber has taken an unknown number of hostages at a Bank of America near the University of Miami.

Coral Gables police say some employees and customers were taken hostage Friday at the bank, but they don’t know how many. Hostage negotiators are at the bank along with the FBI and the Miami-Dade County bomb squad.

The university sent an alert to students warning them to stay away from the area near the bank.

Some elementary schools in the area have been locked down as a precaution but the university remains open.

Roads are closed in the area. The bank is near the southern end of Interstate 95, the highway that spans the East Coast from Maine to Florida.