Five people, including an off-duty police officer, died after a person opened fire along a walking trail in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday. The accused, identified as a white, juvenile male, has been arrested.
The shooting happened around 5 pm along the Neuse River Greenway in a residential area northeast of downtown, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin was quoted by AP.
Two other people were also injured in the gun violence. While one, a police officer, only suffered minor injuries, the other remains in critical condition, added reports.
"Tonight terror has reached our doorstep. The nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh. This is a senseless horrific and infuriating act of violence that has been committed," Gov. Roy Cooper told reporters.
Just after the shooting, police officials swarmed the area and barricaded all roads. People were instructed to stay inside while officers launched a manhunt for the accused.
According to Brooke Medina, who lives in the neighbourhood bordering the greenway, she spotted police cars speeding towards the residential area, which is about 14 kilometres from Raleigh's downtown. Ambulances were also seen racing towards the closest hospital.
She reached out to neighbours and realized there was a shelter-in-place order. "The family closed all of their window blinds, locked the doors and congregated in an upstairs hallway together," said Medina told AP. The family got back downstairs only after confirming that the shooter have moved away from their home.
"We're just going to hunker down for the rest of the night and be very vigilant. Keep all of our lights on, doors locked, she added.
Though officials gave no detail about the shooter's motive, reports claim he used a long gun. No details were available about how the incident unfolded or about the circumstances of the suspect's capture.
This is the latest in a violent week across the country. Five people were killed Sunday in a shooting at a home in Inman, South Carolina while two police officers were fatally shot in Connecticut last Wednesday. The officers were attending a domestic violence call when they got drawn into the ambush.
