LISBON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- An armed man remained barricaded inside a Portuguese supermarket on Friday, almost 24 hours after he invaded the premises.
The man entered the supermarket on Thursday afternoon carrying a shotgun and a pistol. He fired five shots into the air and floor, local media reported.
A member of the supermarket staff confronted the gunman and suffered a blow to the head via the butt of a gun.
Another worker was then taken hostage, before the gunman relented and allowed the two members of staff and 15 customers to leave. The injured worker was taken straight to hospital.
The police initially suspected a hold-up, but later learned the gunman has a grievance with the owner of the supermarket, who was not on the premises.
The gunman is believed to be a Portuguese man in his 50s who emigrated to France 30 years ago. He and the supermarket owner are involved in a land dispute.
Police negotiators have been trying to coax the gunman out of the building.
The supermarket, located in Vila Nova de Poiares, Coimbra, remains surrounded by police.
