4 law enforcement officers killed. 4 wounded. A tragic day for Charlotte | Opinion

A shootout in east Charlotte killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others Monday — a tragic loss of life due to gun violence.

Police say the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force was attempting to serve an arrest warrant for possession of a firearm by a felon when a suspect fired a “high-powered rifle” at officers. Four officers — a U.S. marshal, two officers from the N.C. Department of Adult Correction and a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer were killed. Four others, including three CMPD officers, were wounded.

It was one of the deadliest days for law enforcement in recent history. And it happened here.

There is much we do not know, including how the situation escalated to gunfire or how the weapon was obtained. Those answers will come in time, but now, we mourn for the law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, and for the families who lost them. It’s a tragedy that occurred while they were simply trying to keep us safe.

CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said it was the most tragic day for law enforcement in his more than three decades with the department.

“Historically, I can’t imagine that there’s one that’s any worse than what we’re seeing today,” Jennings said.

The tragedy put Charlotte in national headlines for the worst reasons, drawing the attention of the White House and the U.S. attorney general. It’s something no city — and no family — should ever have to experience.

As with any mass shooting, we wish that guns were not so prevalent in our society. Far too many families have been torn apart by gun violence, and too many communities have been fractured by tragedies like these — many of them here in our own city. But there will be a time for other questions and conversations about what happened and why. For now, we must come together as a community to share pain and honor lives lost.

We honor CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer, who served with the department for six years and was honored as one of the officers of the month just a couple of weeks ago. Eyer was initially listed in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries Monday night. We also honor Officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, both 14-year veterans of the Department of Adult Correction, and deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks Jr., a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service.

We think, too, of the east Charlotte residents who were suspended in fear for hours as the situation unfolded. A number of schools went into lockdown, while police reportedly stationed snipers from neighbors’ homes and “army-crawled” through backyards. One neighbor told The Charlotte Observer that it “sounded like Vietnam out there.” Fear and tragedy can unsettle a community, and we are grateful to the roughly 150 officers who responded to the situation so quickly.

Monday’s shooting happened on the eve of the five-year anniversary of the 2019 UNC Charlotte shooting — another tragic event that left our community shaken. As UNC Charlotte noted on its social media, the law enforcement agencies deeply affected by today’s events are the same ones who rushed to the aid of an endangered campus five years ago. We are grateful for their heroism and their sacrifice.

Today, once again, is a tragic day for Charlotte. Just as we came together then, we must come together now to support the victims’ families and the law enforcement community as a whole.