A suspected gunman was in custody after five people were fatally shot Thursday evening in Raleigh, North Carolina, in what the governor called “the nightmare of every community.”
An off-duty police officer was among the fatally wounded victims, Mayor Mary-Anne Baldwin said.
The officer and the other four victims have not been identified.
Hours after the shooting that prompted warnings for residents to stay inside, the suspect, who was described as a “white male juvenile,” was captured, Lt. Jason Borneo of the Raleigh Police Department said at a Thursday night news conference.
The suspect was not identified, and his condition wasn’t immediately clear. Borneo declined to provide additional details, citing an active investigation into the shooting that unfolded in a neighborhood northeast of central Raleigh.
Two people were also wounded in the shooting, including A K9 officer who had what Baldwin said were non-life-threatening injuries. Borneo later said he had been released from a local hospital.
A second victim remained hospitalized and in critical condition, he said.
“Tonight terror has reached our doorstep,” Gov. Roy Cooper told reporters. “The nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh. This is a senseless, horrific and infuriating act of violence that has been committed.”
“We have to end this mindless gun violence that is happening across our country,” Baldwin said. “There are too many victims. We have to wake up.”
Shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday, the Raleigh Police Department said that officers were responding to the scene of an “active shooting” northeast of downtown.
The department advised residents in the leafy suburban neighborhood known as Hedingham to remain indoors. Aerial video from WRAL showed a large police presence in the area.
A witness told the station that he saw an apparent gunman who was armed with a long gun and dressed in camouflage.
“I saw him basically pass by my house in the backyard,” the witness, identified only as Robert, told the station. The witness added that he heard gunfire and alerted authorities to what he’d seen.
Another witness who spotted the apparent gunman told the station that she saw neighbors trying to help the off-duty officer, who was inside a car bleeding.
The witness told the station that she saw the gunman run from the scene and disappear into a nearby park. He was wearing black boots and appeared to be a teenager, she said.
Lindsey Pipia contributed.
Source: NBC News
