Investigators continue piecing together Charlotte shooting that killed 4 officers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Investigators continued working Wednesday to piece together the timeline of a deadly shooting in east Charlotte that killed four officers and left four others with gunshot wounds, rocking the law enforcement community nationwide and spurring an outpouring of support for the officers and their families.

Civic and religious leaders are asking the community for patience, love and grace as they grapple with the fallout of the deaths: four families who have lost a husband and a father.

Officials have declined to discuss the specifics of the incident, including whether it was appropriate for law enforcement to engage in a lengthy gunbattle in the middle of a neighborhood in the middle of the day.

"We do, like a number of cities across this country, have issues around violence. But I think most of the time we can identify why and how," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said Tuesday night after a community prayer vigil. "In this situation, I think once they finish the investigation, we will probably know more about the how and the why. And my goal is that we complete the investigation, we actually learn from what is going on and that we move forward together."

Here's what we know about the shooting, the investigation, the victims and the suspect:

What happened in Charlotte?

On Monday afternoon, members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force were serving an active felony warrant at a home in east Charlotte when a fugitive with a high-powered rifle began firing at them from the second floor, according to a statement from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Multiple officers were hit, and the other task force members called in reinforcements. As local police arrived and began to rescue the downed task force members, more gunfire came from the house and additional officers were struck, police said.

The gunman, identified as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr., exited the house with a firearm and was shot by police. He was pronounced dead on the front lawn.

In total, eight law enforcement officers were hit. Of the eight who were struck, three members of the task force and an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department died at area hospitals.

Injured police officers: Most are home from the hospital

The four wounded officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were expected to survive their injuries, officials said Tuesday.

Officer Christopher Tolley, hired in May of 2006, had surgery to treat his gunshot wounds and remained in the hospital in stable condition, according to the police department.

Justin Campbell, a 4-year veteran with the department, was released Tuesday morning after being treated for injuries including a broken foot.

Michael Giglio, an officer who has been with the department since February 2021, was treated for gunshot wounds and was released from the hospital Monday. On the same day, police officer Jack Blowers, hired in February 2023, was also treated and released.

Was there a second shooter?

Police initially said they believed there was a second shooter in the house, but officials have since walked that back. At a news conference Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings told reporters that it seemed shots rang out after Hughes was taken down by police and that gunfire rang came from "multiple locations within the house."

Jennings left the question open, saying that police are not "ready to say" there was a shooter other than Hughes. Investigators are reviewing evidence and body camera to iron out the timeline of the incident, he said.

Two women at the house have cooperated with investigators

Two women – an adult and a 17-year-old – were taken to the police department for questioning after Hughes was killed. Both have been cooperative with the investigation, and police were not looking for additional suspects, Jennings said Tuesday.

"We feel like we have everyone involved that was at the house that we need to speak with," Jennings said.

The women have not been charged, Jennings said, but investigators have not ruled out the possibility that they may face criminal prosecution. They were both in the house voluntarily, but Jennings did not provide details on their relationship to each other or with Hughes.

Evidence is being processed

Investigators continue to search the house and process evidence. They have found a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, a 40-caliber handgun and additional magazines and ammo for both weapons. It's unclear how Hughes got hold of his weapon, because he is a convicted felon who cannot purchase a weapon legally.

"You have to understand the amount of evidence that's going to be collected, probably well over 100 rounds of gunfire, of projectiles and casings that will be collected," Jennings said, asking for patience.

12 police officers placed on paid leave

In the shootout, 12 officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department fired their service weapons. They have all been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard procedure with any officer-involved shooting, Jennings said. The department's internal affairs unit will open a separate investigation.

"This is continuing to be an active and ongoing investigation," the chief said. "There's going to be some ... questions that will linger at least until we are able to get this investigation a little bit more complete."

What we know about the slain officers

Among the slain officers were Sam Poloche, 42, and Alden Elliot, 46, both of whom worked for the state's Department of Adult Correction. The two fathers were task force members assigned to the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Poloche joined the correction department's special operations and intelligence unit in 2013 and Elliot followed in 2016. They both worked for several years as probation and parole officers, according to the agency.

Poloche is survived by his wife and two children; Elliot is survived by his wife and one child.

"They loved their work, and were passionate about their roles in protecting our communities," read a statement from the correction department. "These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state.  We remember them, we honor their service, we send our deepest condolences to their families and friends, and we pray for healing for all affected by this tragic incident."

U.S. Marshals Deputy Thomas M. Weeks Jr., 48, of Mooresville, North Carolina, was also killed. The husband and father of four served with the Marshals Service for 13 years, and most of that time was spent in the western district of North Carolina.

Before he joined the Marshals Service, Weeks spent eight years with Customs and Border Protection. In 2011, he began working at the Washington, D.C., Superior Court before transferring to Charlotte in 2014.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer was shot at the scene and fought for his life in the hospital for several hours before he died with his wife and family by his side. Eyer, the father of a 3-year-old boy, worked at the police department for six years and had recently been named officer of the month.

"Our challenge to this community is to make sure that 3-year-old son grows up knowing his dad," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said at the vigil Tuesday night. "His dad was a law enforcement officer, he was a hero, he was someone that we should be proud to know and speak of."

Several religious and civic leaders say that if any good can come from the tragedy, it's that it may force Charlotte to more urgently grapple with the threat of gun violence and relations between police departments and they people they serve.

"We’ve got to recognize it’s not normal to kill four police officers and wound four others," said Willie Rachford, the longtime director of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Department. “We’ve become literally numb to it, and we make it part of our norm. When hope is crushed, our hearts are crushed. Let’s keep hope alive. Let’s restore our hope.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police continue to probe Charlotte shooting that killed 4 officers