ROCHESTER , New Hampshire ( CNN ) -- Police took into custody a man they say walked into Sen. Hillary Clinton 's campaign office in Rochester , New Hampshire , and took several people hostage Friday . Police in New Hampshire take the hostage taker into custody Friday evening . The man , Lee Eisenberg , claimed to have a bomb strapped to his chest , but it turned out to be road flares held with duct tape , police said . `` He was someone who was not known to my campaign headquarters until he walked in the door today , '' Clinton said Friday evening in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , where she met with the hostages and their families . `` It appears he is someone who was in need of help and sought attention in absolutely the wrong way , '' she said . `` It was for me and my campaign an especially tense and difficult day . '' Flanked by local police , Clinton expressed her gratitude to the team that resolved the hostage situation . `` I want to thank them for their professionalism and their extraordinary work today , '' she said . `` We 're immensely relieved that this has ended peacefully . '' Clinton also praised her staffers for showing courage and handling the situation `` extraordinarily well . '' She said she does n't expect any changes to her schedule or her campaign in light of the incident . The situation began when Eisenberg walked into the office at about 1 p.m. , Maj. Michael Hambrook of the New Hampshire State Police told CNN affiliate WMUR-TV . Watch police take up positions » . On Friday afternoon , one of the hostages contacted the CNN Washington bureau and then put Eisenberg on the phone . The hostage and Eisenberg called CNN multiple times throughout the afternoon and talked to CNN staffers . Eisenberg said he had mental problems and could n't get anyone to help him . CNN assumed Eisenberg could be watching CNN 's broadcast and chose not to report his calls to avoid compromising the safety of the hostages . Several people were caught up at the start of the hostage situation . See the location of the office » . A woman with a baby was released by the hostage-taker early on , she told a witness , Lettie Tzizik , who spoke to WMUR . See photos of the hostage situation » . `` A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears , and she said , 'You need to call 911 . A man has just walked into the Clinton office , opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape , ' `` the Web site reported . Bill Shaheen , chairman of Clinton 's New Hampshire campaign , told WMUR the people held were volunteers . Clinton , a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination , was scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. at a Democratic National Committee event , but canceled the talk because of the situation , DNC Chairman Howard Dean said . Watch Dean break the news » . Buildings close to the storefront campaign office on Main Street were evacuated , including local campaign centers for Clinton 's Democratic presidential rivals , Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards . Cassandra Hamilton , who works in an office adjacent to the Clinton office , told WMUR : `` I walked out and I immediately started running , and I saw that the road was blocked off . They told me run and keep going . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Kelly Marshall contributed to this report .
NEW : Clinton says the incident wo n't change her schedule or campaign . NEW : Clinton : It appears the man sought attention in absolutely the wrong way . Police arrest man they say held Clinton campaign workers hostage . Hostages released from Clinton campaign office .