Armed squatter causes hostage situation outside US airport

New York: Police have rescued two people from a hostage situation in US city of New Jersey, at a warehouse near the Newark International Airport.

SWAT teams surrounded the building at 451 Frelinghuysen Avenue on Friday afternoon. It is listed as an address of several manufacturing and shipping companies, and is about a block away from the Newark-Liberty International Airport transit station.

Police was called in around 1 p.m., after reports of a "person with a gun" inside the building.

Two people were evacuated from the roof by police, WABC reported, noting that they were the new owners of the building who were apparently confronted by a squatter armed with a shotgun.

The drama unfolded mere minutes away from the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). A major hub for United Airlines, Newark is the second-busiest airport in the New York City area, serving 37.5 million passengers in 2015.