North Carolina shooter arrested after manhunt, 4 injured

RALEIGH, North Carolina –

North Carolina city officials said a suspect was arrested after shooting and injuring at least four people in a residential neighborhood on Thursday.

The city of Knightdale tweeted that a suspect was in custody following the shooting in nearby Raleigh.

Numerous police vehicles and several ambulances swarmed the Hedingham area from late afternoon, and officers remained in place for hours in an apparent manhunt. Details of what happened remained scarce as of the early evening.

« State and local officers are on the ground working to arrest the shooter and keep people safe, » Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted shortly before 7 p.m.

At least four people linked to the shooting were being treated at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, but no other information was immediately available, hospital spokeswoman Deb Laughery said.

The Raleigh Police Department said it was « at the scene of an active shooting » in a statement via Twitter, and advised residents in several neighborhoods to stay indoors.

Police closed several streets in the area and numerous law enforcement vehicles were seen parked both on the street and in the driveways of two-story houses. The neighborhood borders the Neuse River Greenway Trail and is approximately nine miles from downtown Raleigh.

At least four people linked to the shooting were being treated at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, but no other information was immediately available, hospital spokeswoman Deb Laughery said.

A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. A press conference was scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

Brooke Medina was driving home around 5:15 p.m. when she saw about two dozen police cars, marked and unmarked, speeding toward her neighborhood as she pulled off the freeway. She then saw ambulances rushing in the other direction, towards the nearest hospital.

She and her husband, who were working from home with their four children, began reaching out to neighbors and realized there was a shelter-in-place order.

The family closed all their blinds, locked the doors and gathered in an upstairs hallway, said Medina, who works as vice president of communications at a think tank. The family listened to the police scanner and watched local news before heading back down once the danger appeared to have cleared their home.

“We’re just going to hunker down for the rest of the night and be extra vigilant. Keep all our lights on, doors locked,” she said.

She described Hedingham as a sprawling, dense, tree-lined neighborhood that is full of single-family homes, duplexes, and townhouses that are more moderately priced compared to other parts of the Raleigh area.

Medina said she often takes her kids for bike rides along the greenway during the day, but usually brings pepper spray just in case.

« There are a lot of places where you could disappear, » she said.

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Associated Press reporter Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report.