Four people were shot and killed, including two North Carolina sheriff’s deputies, during a welfare check at a home that turned into a 13-hour standoff, authorities said.
Deputies responded to the home in Boone about 100 miles northwest of Charlotte — around 9:44 a.m. on Wednesday after the homeowner’s employer reported that the person had not reported to work or responded to phone calls, the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office said.
The two slain deputies, Sgt. Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox, were shot upon entering the home, the sheriff’s office said.
The suspect also allegedly killed two civilians inside the home, the sheriff’s office said. Their names have not been released.
A Boone police officer was hit by gunfire while trying to rescue the sheriff’s officers, but wasn’t hurt thanks to his protective equipment, the sheriff’s office said.
The standoff ended shortly before 11 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately say how the standoff ended.
My condolences go out to the family and Sheriff Department of the deputies killed in the line of duty. This is a tragedy that happens to often that should not have happened at all. May prayers for all of you.