Raleigh Mass Shooting: 5 Dead; Juvenile In Custody, Police Say

RALEIGH, NC — Five people are dead, including an off-duty Raleigh police officer, after a shooting Thursday evening, according to the city's mayor. A juvenile was taken into custody more than four hours after the attack began, police said.

Just after 5 p.m., multiple people were shot on the Neuse River Greenway near the Hedingham subdivision, Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told reporters at a press conference, a recording of which was produced by ABC11 and published by The News & Observer.

“There are too many victims," Baldwin said, asking for unity at a later press conference, streamed on Facebook by WBTV. "We have to wake up. I don’t want other mayors standing here at the podium with their hearts breaking because people in their community died today needlessly and tragically.”

A Raleigh K-9 officer with injuries that were not life-threatening was taken to a hospital, as was another person, Baldwin said. An officer had been released from the hospital by 10:45 p.m., according to police, but another victim was in critical condition.

“I want to thank all the officers who responded in the way they did," Baldwin said. "They put themselves in danger to keep our city safe.”

Shortly before 6 p.m., police tweeted that officers were on the scene of an active shooting in the area of Neuse River Greenway near Osprey Cove Drive and Bay Harbor Drive on the city's north side, and told people to stay in their homes. In the hours that followed, they directed Hedingham residents, as well as those on other nearby streets, to remain indoors. As of 8 p.m., the suspect was contained to a home in the area, Baldwin said. Shortly after 9:30 p.m., the person — identified as a juvenile male — was arrested, according to police.

“Tonight, terror has reached our doorstep," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said, calling for prayers for the victims and their families at the later press conference. "The nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh. This is a senseless, horrific and infuriating act of violence that has been committed.”

Cooper tweeted Thursday evening that he had instructed state law enforcement to assist with the response, adding that state and local officers were on the ground. The investigation remains active, police said Thursday night, but there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Raleigh Chief of Police Estella Patterson was out of town at a conference at the time of the shooting but was on a flight back to the city Thursday night, according to law enforcement.

“For the Raleigh Police Department, every Raleigh police officer is a brother or sister," Lt. Jason Borneo told reporters in the wake of the shooting. "So when we lose one of our own it is a tragic, heartbreaking day for all of us.”