UPDATED 6:20 p.m.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Monday that three officers are dead and five more have been injured, including one in critical condition, in what amounts to the worst single day for law enforcement in Charlotte's history. A total of eight officers were shot in an east Charlotte neighborhood.
CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said those officers killed were all members of the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. They were trying to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on a person in the 5000 block of Galway Drive at around 1:30 pm. Jennings said officers were shot at by the suspect when they approached, and that they returned fire and hit the first suspect, who died in the front yard of a house.
"As officers approached that individual, they then received additional gunfire from inside of the residence," he said. "After a long standoff, we were able to clear this residence and confirm there were two additional people inside."
"Tragically, there were three members of the US Marshals Task force who were pronounced deceased and there were four CMPD officers who were shot — one who was in critical condition who is fighting for his life. A total of eight law enforcement officers were shot by the suspects in this house," he said. Jennings said some officers were shot when they rushed into the house to try and extract wounded officers.
Jennings did not identify the three suspects, including the dead one. The two people inside the house were taken into custody.
"We still have a lot to uncover, a lot that's unanswered right now," Jennings said. The FBI and the ATF have joined other state and federal agencies in the investigation.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the city is grieving the three fallen officers. They were not identified publicly as of Monday evening.
"They lost their lives after they gave us the opportunity to be in a safe place and they lost their lives. These are people who care deeply about what they have done for their profession and today we have to say to them how much we are grateful for how much they have done," she said.
The chaotic standoff lasted for hours before CMPD SWAT teams cleared the house in east Charlotte's Shannon Park neighborhood, north of Shamrock Drive and east of East Sugar Creek Road and Eastway Drive. Neighbors in the area shared clips on social media, some from video doorbells and some recorded on cell phones, that showed officers running as bursts of gunfire rattled through the leafy suburban neighborhood. One man shared a clip of officers in his backyard, trying to get through a fence, as gunshots echoed nearby.
Police shut down major roads for hours, including Independence Boulevard and Randolph Road, in part to facilitate the rapid transport of injured victims to the hospital. Nearly two hours after the initial shootout, CMPD warned there was still "active gunfire" at the residence, as armored vehicles and officers in tactical gear tried to maneuver closer.
Nearby schools were placed on lockdown, with students waiting to leave for the day until police gave the all-clear. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials warned parents that buses were disrupted by the road closures and students might be home late.
We will continue to update this story as more information is available.
WFAE Reporters Nick de la Canal and Sarah Delia contributed to this report.
