A bank robbery that escalated into a hostage situation in Waxahachie early Friday morning is over, but the search for the robber continues.
The incident started as a bank robbery at about 7 a.m. at the Vintage Bank on the 300 block of North Highway 77 when two female employees confronted by the robber as they arrived for work. The women were restrained with zip ties and placed into the vault.
One of the employees had a mobile phone and they were able to alert police, though they had no information about what was going on outside of the vault in the bank.
A short time later, the building was surrounded by Waxahachie police and the Ellis County Sheriff's Department. Just after 9 a.m., officers went into the bank and rescued the two women, but the bank robber was long gone.
Investigators have not said if the man was armed or how much money, if any, was stolen from the bank.
"They just got two girls out of the bank. They have blonde hair and pink shirts. I think they're OK. They're sitting in the police car," a viewer told NBC DFW via telephone. "All I know is the police showed up around 7 this morning. They shut off the street near the HEB."
At this time, no one has been placed under arrest and armed men can be seen searching the nearby neighborhood. So far, the only description of the robber is that it was a man wearing a mask and all black clothing.
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There are no reports of any injuries in connection with the robbery. As this is a breaking news situation, details about the robbery are still coming into the newsroom. We will update this page with more information as soon as we receive it.
Nearby school placed on lockdown
Due to the close proximity of the bank to Northside Elementary, the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
This statement was released from the Waxahachie Independent School District just after 8:30 a.m.
The front doors at Northside Elementary are locked and officials are monitoring campus access. Students who arrived at school this morning were safely escorted into the building. As a further precaution, all campuses will have their front doors locked and officials will carefully monitor who is entering and exiting all WISD schools.
Waxahachie ISD will work closely with the Waxahachie Police Department and remain on campus lockdowns until further notice from police officials.
By 9:30 a.m., the lockdown was released.
However, as a precautionary measure the district is still asking for campuses to refrain from outdoor activities, and all doors will still remain locked and officials will continue monitoring visitors and guests. Classes will continue and the early release schedule for today’s Homecoming Parade will continue as planned.
NBC DFW's Grant Stinchfield contributed to this report.
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