Numerous law enforcement officers were shot — four of whom were reportedly killed — during a SWAT situation Monday in a residential area of Charlotte, North Carolina.
U.S. Marshals and various other law enforcement agencies attempted to serve a warrant at a home in the eastern sect of the city but the situation turned deadly when a SWAT team entrance escalated into a shootout, law enforcement sources told CBS News. One U.S. Marshall and three state and local police officers reportedly lost their lives due to the gunfire.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr. was fatally shot, ABC News reported. North Carolina Department of Corrections officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliot, attached to the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force, were also among those slain, according to CBS News. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officer Joshua Eyer was the fourth officer killed, CMPD Police Chief Johnny Jennings said, according to WCCB Charlotte.
In total, eight officers were shot, Jennings told reporters during a press conference, CBS News reported. Authorities reportedly identified the alleged gunman as Terry Clark Hughes, Jr. (RELATED: Police Officer Shot Dead By Teen Over Suspicious Vehicle Stop, Police Say)
There was a 17-year-old and a female that were present inside the home during the shooting, whom were discovered by authorities after the shootout.
The two have not been charged with anything at this time and are cooperating with the investigation, Chief Jennings told reporters at a Tuesday press conference. That said, the chief did not rule out the potential for charging the two pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
Please keep CMPD in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with an active incident. Local media is reporting that MULTIPLE law enforcement officers have been shot. We will provide an update when more information becomes available.#officerdown #cmpd @GLFOP pic.twitter.com/E3s6lzdSyf
— North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police (@NCFOP1) April 29, 2024
BREAKING: A U.S. Marshal was killed and several other law enforcement officers were wounded in an ongoing shooting incident in East Charlotte, North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/BJP35fh88N
— Insider Corner (@insiderscorner) April 29, 2024
Multiple roadways were shut down so that officers could be rushed to nearby hospitals, WCCB Charlotte reported. (RELATED: Video Shows Police Standoff With Suspect Deputies Allege Fired Over 400 Rounds)
Furthermore, several schools in the area went into a state of lockdown as a result of the ongoing situation, which delayed pickup times for students waiting for parents after dismissal.
“There was shots ringing left and right. We had SWAT and U.S. marshals set up snipers in our bedrooms,” a resident in the neighborhood named Tyler Wilson told WBTV.
North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper addressed the incident via Twitter:
I am in contact with law enforcement concerning the tragic shooting in the Charlotte area, and we have offered state resources to help. – RC
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) April 29, 2024
In response to The Daily Caller’s request for comment, CMPD forwarded the Caller a link to live press briefing where local officials updated the public on the situation Tuesday morning.