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4th officer killed in North Carolina shootout
A fourth law enforcement officer has died after a shootout in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday. Police were serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm.
CHARLOTTE, N.C - Four police officers were killed and four others injured in a shootout while serving a warrant on a felon wanted for possessing a firearm in North Carolina on Monday, according to police.
Some of the officers who rushed to the Charlotte neighborhood to rescue the first wave of downed officers were wounded as a second shooter began firing on them after they killed the wanted man, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
"Today we lost some heroes who were out simply trying to keep our community safe," Jennings said at a news conference.
Here's what's known about the shooting:
Charlotte shooting leaves 4 officers killed
After a three-hour standoff, armored vehicles breached the suburban Charlotte home, tearing off windows and doorways. The intense operation left the scene with several armored vehicles scattered across yards, some adorned with dangling tree branches.
The U.S. Marshals Task Force was fired on by the wanted suspect as they approached the house and the man was killed in the front yard, Jennings said. His name was not released, but the chief said he was wanted as a felon illegally possessing a weapon.
A second person then fired on officers from inside the home where a high-powered rifle was found, Jennings added.
A woman and a 17-year-old male were found in the home after the standoff. The two are being questioned, Jennings said.
The Marshal’s Service confirmed one of its agents was killed. Two officers from the state Department of Adult Correction also were killed, said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. The governor was in Charlotte and was speaking to the families of the officers killed and hurt. Their names have not been released.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer died a few hours later at the hospital, Jennings said. Eyer was named the officer of the month for the force for April a few weeks ago, the chief said.
"He certainly gave his life and dedicated his life to protecting our citizens," Jennings said.
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Multiple officers shot in North Carolina
Numerous law enforcement officers conducting a task force operation were shot Monday afternoon as they came under fire in Charlotte, North Carolina, police said. Officers from several agencies in the U.S. Marshals Task Force were carrying out an investigation in a suburban neighborhood when "a subject" began firing at them, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a post on X. A former FBI agent joins LiveNOW to break down what is likely going on behind the scenes.
One other member of the task force, which is made up of federal agents and other officers from across the region was injured.
Three other Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers who responded to the scene were shot while trying to rescue the wounded officers.
According to neighbors, the sound of gunfire persisted for several minutes. WSOC-TV reported that their helicopter filmed an armored vehicle maneuvering through residential yards, displacing recycling bins in its path. The footage also showed officers assisting a bloodied individual into an ambulance.
After the home was cleared, the helicopter pilot said he couldn't show the front lawn of the home because the scene was too graphic and disturbing.
"A lot of the questions that need to be answered, we don’t even know what those questions are now," Jennings said, somberly briefing reporters less than four hours after the shooting. "We have to get a full understanding of why this occurred and also uphold the integrity of the investigation."
Multiple law enforcement officers were shot in the 5000 block of Galway Drive in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Khadejeh Nikouyeh/The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Four Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools were temporarily placed on lockdown during the afternoon dismissal time, which was later lifted in the late afternoon, according to the district.
Police advised people to avoid the area and requested that residents stay indoors until it was safe to emerge.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident and has spoken with Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, offering his condolences and support to the community.
"They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us," Biden said in a statement late Monday. "We mourn for them and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded."
The last U.S. Marshal to be fatally shot in the line of duty occurred in November 2018, when Chase White was killed in Tucson, Arizona, by an individual accused of stalking local law enforcement, the agency reported.
The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, based in Charlotte, consists of 70 federal, state, and local agencies working collaboratively to locate and apprehend fugitive suspects.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. It was reported from Los Angeles.