Raleigh shooting – latest: Suspect, 15, will face charges as an adult after killing five
Police describe suspect as white, juvenile male
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Five people were killed by a shooter who opened fire along a walking trail in North Carolina’s capital city on Thursday and eluded police for hours before he was cornered and arrested, police said.
Law enforcement officials identified the victims of the shooting on Friday. An off-duty police officer was among those killed by the suspect, whom police described as a white, 15-year-old male.
The suspect was arrested around 9.37pm after evading capture for hours and hiding inside a home, authorities said.
Gunfire broke out around 5pm, along the Neuse River Greenway in a residential area northeast of downtown, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said.
Officers from numerous law enforcement agencies swarmed the area, closing roads and warning residents to stay inside while they searched for the shooter.
Two people, including another police officer, were also taken to hospitals.
“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,” Governor Roy Cooper told reporters.
Mass shooting in North Carolina
Police are hunting a gunman said to have killed multiple people in Raleigh, North Carolina. Unconfirmed reports suggest one of those killed is an off-duty police officer.
Graeme Massie reports:
Off-duty police officer among several killed in mass shooting in North Carolina
An off-duty police officer was among several people killed in a mass shooting as a gunman remained on the run in North Carolina, according to reports.
Second officer reported to be wounded
The shootings happened at the Neuse River Greenway in the Heddingham neighborhood near Osprey Cove Drive and Bay Harbor Drive, according to ABC 11 Eyewitness News.
The outlet says one officer was shot and killed while a second was also wounded.
Three other people were reportedly taken to WakeMed’s trauma unit.
Reports that suspect has been captured
There are reports that a suspect has been captured. The town of Knightdale in North Carolina tweeted: “Attention Knightdale residents: We have been actively monitoring the situation regarding the active shooter in eastern Raleigh, and we can now inform you that the suspect has been captured. There is no longer any threat to the public. Posted Thursday, October 13, 8:15 pm.”
Conflicting reports over whether suspect still at large
Raleigh Police have reportedly said no one is currently in custody, despite a tweet earlier from the town of Knightdale that someone had been captured.
Police have been telling locals to stay inside their homes as the search continues.
Reports that gunman is ‘contained’ inside a barn
There are reports that the suspected gunman has been “contained” inside a barn. Raleigh Police have confirmed that the situation is ongoing despite earlier reports from a nearby town that the shooter was in custody.
Suspect said to be wearing camouflage
Some reports described the gunman as a white teenager dressed in camouflage. There were reports that he was firing with a shotgun or a “long rifle”.
The suspect has not yet been formally identified.
Five confirmed dead in North Carolina shooting
The mayor of Raleigh has confirmed that five people have been killed in a mass shooting on the outskirts of the city.
Mary-Ann Baldwin said one of those killed was an off-duty Raleigh Police Department officer.
In a short briefing, she said that the suspect was “contained” in a residence in the area, contradicting previous reports that the gunman had been captured.
Mayor Baldwin said it was “a sad and tragic day for the city of Raleigh”.
Governor reacts to mass shooter
The governor of North Carolina has tweeted committing assistance to police in Raleigh following the mass shooting that has left five people – including an off-duty police officer – dead and several others wounded.
Roy Cooper wrote: “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. - RC”
More than 34,000 gun deaths in 2022 so far, says public access source
According to the Gun Violence Archive, a not-for-profit resource which collects evidence from 7,500 law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources to try to monitor the number of shootings in the US, there had been 34,883 gun deaths in the country during 2022 as of 13 October.
Of those, 16,001 were classified as homicides.
There have been 17 mass shootings in North Carolina this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It defines mass shootings as incidents wherein four people or more suffer gunshot wounds.
Second officer wounded
The mayor of Raleigh, Mary-Ann Baldwin, said a second police officer had been shot. The canine officer was wounded and was one of at least four people taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.
Neither the wounded officer – nor the off-duty Raleigh Police Department officer who was killed – have been publicly named.
The condition of the wounded officer was not immediately known.