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Five people were shot dead in the North Carolina capital of Raleigh on Thursday, triggering a manhunt that shut down part of city for hours and resulted in the arrest of a suspect, officials said.
Two people were wounded: a police officer who was treated and released and a person in hospital in critical condition, a police spokesman said.
Police said the gunman opened fire along a walking trail in North Carolina’s capital city on Thursday and eluded officers for hours before he was cornered in a home and arrested.
An off-duty police officer was among those killed by the suspect, who police only described as a white, juvenile male. He was arrested around 9.37pm, authorities said.
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Multiple law-enforcement agencies took part in the manhunt, turning neighbourhoods into crime scenes flooded with first responders. Citizens were told to shelter in place.
“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,” North Carolina governor Roy Cooper told reporters.
“We must stop this mindless violence in America, we must address gun violence,” Raleigh mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. “We have much to do, and tonight we have much to mourn.” — AP