Hostage standoff at clinic ends with 2 dead

? A gunman took his ex-girlfriend hostage Friday at a health clinic where she worked, allowed her to make a goodbye call to her family and killed her before police gunned him down, authorities said.

The shootings took place at St. John’s Mercy Urgent Care Center in O’Fallon, about 30 miles northwest of St. Louis. No patients or other clinic workers were injured.

Capt. Dave Todd, who led the SWAT team that responded, identified the slain woman as medical center lab technician Jenenne Meadows, 47, of St. Peters. Authorities said the gunman was 45 years old, but his name was withheld while relatives were notified.