Seven law enforcement officers were shot, one fatally, on Wednesday night during a two-hour standoff in an upscale residential neighborhood in Florence County, South Carolina.

The male suspect, who held children hostage as he fired upon officers from multiple agencies, has yet to be named. The children were unharmed, police said.

The incident began around 4 p.m. EST when investigators from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve a warrant at a home in the Vintage Place subdivision, not far from areas devastated by flooding from Hurricane Florence last month. That's when the suspect began shooting, said Public Information Officer Maj. Michael Nunn.

"Fire was being shot all over," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said. "The way the subject was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards so he had an advantage."

Soon, Florence Police Department officers responded to assist deputies as the suspect remained barricaded inside the home. Three county deputies and four city officers were shot before the suspect surrendered after talking with a negotiator, according to local media reports.

With a bullet-resistant rescue vehicle, the wounded officers were evacuated and transported to a hospital. The names of the six officers receiving medical treatment have not been released.

The fallen police officer was identified by City of Florence spokesperson John Wukela as Terrence Carraway, 52, a 30-year veteran of the department.

"Please pray for these officers and their speedy recovery," Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said, holding back tears. "Pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer that I have ever known."

Officials declined to reveal why they were serving a warrant on the suspect.

"This is a hard and difficult day for us," Nunn said.

The confrontation also rattled federal and state officials, including President Donald Trump, who extended "thoughts and prayers" via Twitter and added, "We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365."

"This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted that he was "heartbroken" over the shooting and added, "God bless those who choose to protect us and their families. We are keeping them in our prayers."

Florence, a city in South Carolina’s northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It’s the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, an area recently affected by heavy flooding in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

Contributing: Associated Press