Four US law enforcement officials killed in shootout

Four US law enforcement officials were killed and four others wounded in a shootout Monday as they carried out a warrant at a home in the southern state of North Carolina, officials said.

The wanted man was later found dead on the property after he shot multiple officers, and officers returned fire, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said in a statement, following a standoff that lasted around three hours.

The Department of Justice confirmed that a deputy US marshal and two task force officers were killed in the incident.

Five other officers were also shot, with one from the local police force in "critical condition," CMPD said on social media.

CMPD later announced the death of one of the injured officers, saying in a post on X that he had "passed away tonight from his injuries after being shot in the line of duty this afternoon while assisting other officers with the apprehension of a suspect."

Johnny Jennings, chief of police for CMPD, earlier told reporters that law enforcement officials were met with gunfire while serving a warrant on a convicted felon wanted for possessing a firearm, at around 1:30 pm local time (17:30 GMT).

Officers returned fire and hit one person, who was later pronounced dead, before facing additional gunfire from inside the home, Jennings said.

CMPD said in a statement that according to a preliminary investigation, the male subject of the felony warrant "discharged his firearm striking multiple officers."

Officers returned fire, and "the suspect was pronounced deceased at the residence," the statement said.

Jennings said that, after a standoff, officers cleared the property and found a 17-year-old and a woman inside, who were brought to the police station as "persons of interest."

He said the incident was an "absolutely tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement."

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the Justice Department was "heartbroken by the deaths... of our own law enforcement colleagues."

President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident and expressed his "condolences and support for the community," the White House said.