Five people were killed in a shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina’s Hedingham neighborhood early Thursday evening. One victim was an off-duty police officer, local paper the News & Observer writes, and a juvenile male suspect is in custody.
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin held a press conference (below) revealing two more individuals were hospitalized. One, a Raleigh Police K9 officer, had non-life threatening injuries and has since been released. The other is in critical condition.
The New York Times notes that the shooting, which transpired around 5 p.m., “turned a normally quiet residential area…into a sprawling crime scene.” The Associated Press reports a “gunman opened fire along a walking trail.”
Baldwin said law enforcement informed her at roughly 8 p.m. that they’d “contained” the suspected shooter at a local residence. The state capital’s police department tweeted just before 9:40 p.m. that the suspect had been taken into custody.
“We as a community need to come together, to be there for those who need us now. And we must do more. We must stop this mindless violence in America,” the clearly stricken mayor told the assembled media. “We must address gun violence. We have much to do, and tonight we have much to mourn.”
Officials said they’ll provide more information at 10:45 p.m.
Republican Gov. Roy Cooper wrote on Twitter earlier in the evening, “I have spoken with Mayor Baldwin and instructed state law enforcement to provide assistance responding to the active shooter in East Raleigh.
State and local officers are on the ground and working to stop the shooter and keep people safe.” He later added, “The swift and coordinated efforts of local and state law enforcement have the suspect in custody and we are thankful for their efforts. We mourn for the victims of this horrific and infuriating act of violence.”
This story will be updated.
Source: Complex.com