Four members of law enforcement were shot and killed, and four were wounded while they attempted to serve a search warrant in Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Chief Johnny Jennings told reporters Monday.
At the time of the shooting, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force was serving a warrant in an investigation “when they were engaged by active gunfire from a subject,” police said Monday. Jennings said it was a “high-powered rifle” that was used to shoot and kill officers.
Officers had suspected an individual of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said.
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, was also killed in the standoff.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officers walk in the neighborhood where an officer-involved shooting took place in Charlotte, N.C., April 29, 2024.
Nell Redmond/AP
Authorities said three task force members, including a deputy marshal, were killed Monday.
Late Monday night, Jennings went on to confirm the death of a fourth law enforcement officer, who was identified as Charlotte Police Officer Joshua Eyer, a six-year veteran of the force. He is survived by his wife and 3-year-old son, Jennings said.
Four other law enforcement officials were injured in the shooting.
Just before 5 p.m., about three hours after police said there had been a shooting, police said, “at least one shooting suspect was located deceased at the residence after clearing the scene.”
Police are questioning two other people who lived in the home as persons of interest, Jennings said. One of them was a juvenile.
Numerous law enforcement officers struck by gunfire in active situation in the 5000 block of Galway Drive, Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
WSOC
“The bravery of our officers that responded to the scene, knowing that they’re going into gunfire is what I’ve been saying for many years, is in the face of danger. our people step up,” Jennings said.
Police previously described the incident as an “active situation” and said a SWAT team was on scene. A shelter-in-place order was lifted after the house was cleared, police said.
In a statement on social media, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he was in touch with police about the shooting and has offered up state resources to help.
An emotional Mayor of Charlotte, Vi Lyles, said she heard from the White House, members of Congress and state officials offering their support.
“Your father, your husband, your friend, your neighbor … and today they’re not going home,” she said. “You know three people lost their lives today.”
Jennings said that in his 30-plus years in the department, he couldn’t remember a day like this.
“To me, it’s the most tragic one that I’ve been involved in,” he said.
The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting. Biden spoke with the governor and “expressed his condolences and support for the community. In addition, senior White House officials are in touch with federal, state, and local officials,” the White House said in a statement.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement, “The Justice Department is heartbroken by the deaths of three of our own law enforcement colleagues, and we extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones as they grieve this unfathomable loss.”
In a statement Monday night, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said: “The tragic events in Charlotte today are a reminder of the dangers facing law enforcement across the country. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of all the federal, state and local officers who lost their lives or were injured.”
