Seven law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday in Florence, South Carolina, and a suspect is in custody, according to a city spokesman. A total of three Florence County deputies and four city officers were wounded, one of them fatally. The suspect surrendered to deputies after talking with a negotiator, according to Florence County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Glen Kirby.
Officials held an emotional press briefing Wednesday night saying officers were issuing a search warrant at a residence around 4 p.m. when the shooting unfolded. A 2-hour standoff ensued as the suspect was barricaded inside with children. Shots rang out and officers were struck. Florence Mayor Stephen Wukela said some of the officers were in “serious condition.”
The Florence County Emergency Management Department tweeted earlier that the “active shooting situation is over and the suspect is in custody.” Officials urged people to stay away from the area.
President Trump took to Twitter shortly after the evening press conference to say “we are forever grateful for what our law enforcement officers do 24/7/365.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster posted on Twitter that Wednesday’s incident is “simply devastating” and called out the “selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said special agents are assisting in the incident.
Authorities said the shooting took place in Vintage Place, an upscale neighborhood in the western part of the city. Florence is about 70 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach. The Associated Press reports that it’s home to roughly 37,000 people, sitting at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It’s the largest region known as the Pee Dee, an area recently affected by heavy flooding in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
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