A teenage shooter has gunned down five people including an off-duty police officer in a horror rampage in Raleigh, North Caroline.
The camouflaged gunman, ‘aged between 13 and 16’, was armed with a long gun and barricaded himself in a barn during a tense hours-long standoff with armed police.
The motive for the mass shooting that rocked the leafy residential neighborhood remains unclear, and a police conference is scheduled for 8.30am today local time.
Four others were injured in the bloodbath which started at 4pm, including a canine officer, and one remains in a critical condition.
Eye witnesses told WRAL that they saw the gunman dressed in camouflage clothing with a backpack and black boots, crouching down, and said he was ‘aged between 13 and 16’.
Raleigh police said at 9.40pm that the ‘white male juvenile’ was in custody following confusion after saying the suspect had been ‘contained’.
Mary-Ann Baldwin, mayor of Raleigh, is pictured at a press conference on Thursday night, with Governor Roy Cooper looking on (left)
Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, said it was ‘senseless, infuriating and horrific’
The police officer’s white car is seen in an image broadcast by WRAL News in Raleigh
Law enforcement are seen at the entrance to Neuse River Greenway Trail parking at Abington Lane, in east Raleigh
Officers tape off the scene as the confrontation continued
Residents of the eastern district of Raleigh were being told to stay indoors, amid reports of an active shooter
The quiet neighborhood is populated with single-family homes and golf courses.
Mary-Ann Baldwin, the mayor of Raleigh, said the suspect was ‘contained’, but police would not say whether they could communicate with him and his condition was unclear.
WRAL was broadcasting footage of the scene, showing the off-duty police officer’s car riddled with bullets.
WRAL said that four people had been taken to WakeMed hospital, and they were described as being in a ‘very serious condition’.
Baldwin said it was ‘a sad and tragic day for the city of Raleigh’.
The mayor, visibly shaken, continued: ‘It’s a tragic day, because Raleigh police has lost one of its own.’
She said that more must be done to combat gun violence.
‘We must stop this mindless violence in America. We must address gun violence,’ she said.
‘We have much to do, and tonight we have much to mourn.’
Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, said it was ‘senseless, infuriating and horrific’.
‘Tonight terror has reached our doorstep,’ he said.
‘The nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh.
‘This is a senseless, infuriating and horrific act of violence that has been carried out against our community.’
He praised law enforcement for their bravery.
ABC 11 said that there was a standoff, with the suspect barricaded in a barn.
A drone was sent into the barn to try and negotiate with the suspect, but the drone malfunctioned, the station said.
The first reports of a shooting began arriving just before 6pm local time.
‘The Raleigh Police Department is currently on the scene of an active shooting in the area of the Neuse River Greenway near Osprey Cove Drive and Bay Harbor Drive,’ the force tweeted.
‘Residents in that area are advised to remain in their homes.’
The governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, tweeted: ‘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’
Deborah Ross, a Congresswoman whose district encompasses Raleigh, tweeted: ‘My office and I are actively monitoring this situation. Please avoid these areas, stay indoors, and follow the guidance of @RaleighPolice.’
Police and firefighters are pictured near the scene in east Raleigh
Police are seen directing traffic away from the scene of Thursday’s shooting
There was some confusion as to whether the suspect was in custody.
By 8pm, the local news channel was reporting that the gunman had been captured. His condition was unknown, but he was alive, WRAL confirmed.
By 8:15pm, roads were being reopened in the neighborhood.
Yet at 8:27pm, Raleigh Police tweeted: ‘This remains an active investigation. No suspects are in custody at this time. Residents in the affected area are advised to remain in their homes until further notice.’
The mayor confirmed that he was ‘contained’, but did not say he had been taken into custody.
Then, at 9:40pm, Raleigh police said he was in custody.
Raleigh is seeing a surge in gun violence this year – an upward trend that has only worsened over the last few years, News Observer reported.
In July, Raleigh police said that there had been more people killed in 2022 than at the same point in 2021.
In turn, Raleigh saw a significant rise in gun violence in 2021, compared to 2020.
In addition to the 28 people fatally shot, another 131 people were shot and survived, compared to 105 non-fatal shootings in 2020 and 99 in 2019.
There also were 499 aggravated assaults involving guns last year.
Estella Patterson, Raleigh police chief, said the gun violence seen in Raleigh mirrors trends across the country.
‘I think people are on edge coming out of a pandemic,’ she said.
‘I think we have mental health issues that are also contributing to that. I believe also too what we’re facing as a nation: the war in Ukraine, inflation, gas prices.
‘All those things coupled together, I think results in people wanting to solve their disputes or their issues with gun violence rather than just maybe taking a pause, stepping back, and then re-approaching the situation.’