Suspect in custody after two-hour standoff that saw children held hostage in a South Carolina home

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Seven law enforcement officers were shot, one fatally, in a confrontation on Wednesday with a suspect who held children hostage in a South Carolina home, authorities said.

The suspect was taken into custody after a two-hour standoff.

The gunfire erupted in an upscale neighborhood of Florence, a city of about 37,000 people still reeling from heavy flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence’s strike on the Carolinas last month.

A Florence city spokesman, John Wukela, gave an updated total of officers felled by gunfire, speaking at an emotional news conference.

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Maj Mike Nunn, with the Florence county sheriff’s department, said officers were serving a warrant when the suspect began shooting, wounding three deputies. The deputies had to be removed using a bulletproof vehicle.

Then, four Florence police officers were shot while trying to respond to the initial gunfire, said Allen Heidler, the Florence police chief.

The slain officer, Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had just been honored for his 30 years of service with the Florence police department.

“I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known,” Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

Nunn said the suspect held off police for two hours holding children hostage in his home before eventually being taken into custody. He would not release the suspect’s name or condition and other details were not immediately disclosed.

“Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had,” Florence county’s sheriff, Kenney Boone, said at a news conference.

“Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldn’t get to the ones who were down.”

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

Donald Trump said in tweet on Wednesday: “My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina.”

He added: “We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365.”

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

Authorities said the shootings happened in Vintage Place, an upscale neighborhood in the western part of the city.

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York county, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report domestic violence. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.