Breaking News Emails
Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
One law enforcement officer was killed and six others were injured Wednesday in a shooting just outside Florence, South Carolina, officials said.
The suspected gunman was in custody, they said.
Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said three of his deputies and four police officers from the city of Florence who came to assist them were shot after authorities tried to serve a search warrant on the suspect.
Officials said the confrontation with the shooter started about 4 p.m. outside a home in a subdivision known as Vintage Place.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
“His view of fire was several hundred yards, so he had an advanatage,” the sheriff told reporters at a nighttime news conference outside McLeod Regional Medical Center, where at least some of the injured were being treated.
When deputies arrived, the “gunfire started,” he said.
Florence police Chief Allen Heidler said the suspect was holed up in a home. Another law enforcement official said an armored rescue vehicle was used in the operation.
Heidler called it “a very horrific day in the annals of the Florence Police Department.”
He said he had known the officer who was killed for 30 years.
The conditions of the wounded weren’t immediately known.
“We pray for those who are wounded,” Florence Mayor Stephen Wukela told reporters.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene.
Gov. Henry McMaster called the attack “devastating news” for South Carolinians, and he asked for their prayers.
“The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real,” he tweeted.
At the evening news conference Boone said, “This area is safe. The suspect is in custody.”