Three officers with a U.S. marshals task force were fatally shot while serving a warrant at a home Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina, officials said.

One marshal and two local officers working with the fugitive task force were killed. Gov. Roy Cooper Cooper said that “two state Department of Adult Correction officers” had died.

One additional task force member and four officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were also shot, officials said.

One of the wounded officers was in critical condition, officials said at a news briefing Monday afternoon.

In total, eight law enforcement officers were shot.

A suspect was also dead, officials said.

A fugitive task force was serving a warrant on a suspect in possession of a firearm by a convicted felon when the violence began.

Image:
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officers walk in the neighborhood where a shooting took place in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday.Nell Redmond / AP

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said the fallen officers were “heroes that were just simply trying to keep our community safe.”

The task force was serving the warrant about 1:30 p.m. when the subject of the warrant, who wasn’t identified, began shooting with a high-powered rifle, Jennings said. Task force members returned fire and killed the suspect in the home’s front yard.

A sergeant with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police was on the task force, but was not struck by gunfire, Jennings said. The sergeant called for backup, and that’s when the four responding officers from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, Jennings said.

Police were eventually able to clear the home, Jennings said. Two people inside, including a 17-year-old, were detained as persons of interest.

Officials believe two people fired at at law enforcement, Jennings said.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who spoke at Monday’s news conference, said the community must honor the deputy marshals who lost their lives and the wounded officers.

“These are people that cared deeply about what they’ve done for our profession, and now today, we have to say to them, ‘How much we are grateful for what they have done,” Lyles said. “Three people lost their lives today. And the most I can ask the community is that we honor and respect them for all the work they’ve done.”

The governor called the incident “tragic” and said the state is offering assistance.

 “I am in contact with law enforcement concerning the tragic shooting in the Charlotte area, and we have offered state resources to help. — RC,” Cooper said on X.

He later offered his condolences to the families and co-workers in the “brutal attack.”

President Joe Biden was updated on the shooting, the White House said. Biden spoke to Cooper and “expressed his condolences,” according to the White House. Federal officials, the White House said, are also in touch authorities at the federal, state and local level.

CORRECTION (April 29, 2024, 6:40 pm ET): A previous version of this article misstated the number of U.S. marshals who were killed. One marshal was fatally shot and two local officers working with the marshals task force were also killed. 





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