A 15-year-old boy fatally shot two people in the streets of a neighborhood in North Carolina’s capital city, then fled toward a walking trail, where he opened fire, killing three more people and wounding two others, police said Friday.
Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said the suspect was hospitalized in critical condition following the shootings late Thursday afternoon.
Those killed were a racially diverse group and ranged in age from 16 to their late 50s, Patterson said during a news conference. Among the dead was an off-duty Raleigh police officer, Gabriel Torres, who was on his way to work when the shooting began. A second police officer was wounded and released from the hospital, while a 59-year-old woman remained hospitalized in critical condition.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified by police, eluded officers for hours before he was cornered in a home and arrested, police said. Officials have not said how the suspect was injured.
The shootings set off a massive police response and manhunt, with police scouring an area of more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) to find and capture the suspect, Patterson said. She said authorities have not yet determined any motive.
Less than 24 hours after a deadly shooting in Raleigh that left five people dead, including an off-duty police officers, a suspect is in custody and the city reels from the losses. Friday morning, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson named the victims at the press conference. Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29 Nicole Conners, 53 Susan Karnatz, 49 Mary Marshall, 34 James Thompson, 16
The Raleigh Police Department confirmed that a 15-year-old male suspect was in custody with life-threatening injuries, as of 9:37 p.m. last night. More details about the identity of the shooter have not been released due to his age. In total, the suspect shot seven people Thursday in the Hedingham neighborhood of northeast Raleigh near Osprey Cove and Bay Harbor just after 5 p.m.
Two other victims shot in the incident were treated for injuries at a local hospital. One of those victims was a Raleigh Police K-9 officer who had non-life threatening injuries, according to Raleigh Police. As of Friday morning, the investigation remains active.