FARGO, North Dakota — One police officer was killed and two others were seriously injured. in a shooting that also left the suspect dead on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, police said.
A civilian was also seriously injured in the shooting that occurred just before 3 p.m. Friday, police said in a late-night statement that provided no details about how the shooting unfolded or a possible motive. Many witnesses said they saw a man open fire at the officers before other officers fired at him.
A woman said she was driving when she saw the officers go down.
“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove up there were shots and I saw the police go down” Shannon Nichole told KFGO Radio. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through the driver’s door.”
The Fargo Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and authorities withheld the identities of the officers and the suspect pending notification of their families.
Fargo police plan to provide more details at a news conference Saturday at 3:30 p.m., said Gregg Schildberger, the city’s communications director.
“We sincerely ask for your patience and the patience and understanding of our community as the Fargo Police Department works through this incident,” Schildberger said Friday night.
“This is very difficult for all of us,” Schildberger said. “We appreciate all the community messages you have given us in support of our officers.”
Police initially said little about the shooting, calling it only a “critical incident” for nine hours. The first details emerged from witnesses, who said they saw the shooting or heard the sound of gunshots. Shortly after the shooting, officers gathered in a residential area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and evacuated residents while gathering what they said was related evidence.
Chenoa Peterson told The Associated Press that she was driving with her 22-year-old daughter when a man pulled out a gun and started shooting at police: “He proceeds to take aim and you hear the bullets go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. ! He’s shooting!’”
Peterson’s first instinct was to stop and try to help, but having her daughter there convinced her to leave. “It’s weird knowing that if you were 10 seconds earlier, you could have been in it,” she said.
Surveillance video provided by Fargo resident Allison Carlson captured the rapid sounds of gunshots.
Bo Thi was working alone at a nail salon near the scene of the shooting when she heard what sounded like fireworks or a backfiring from a motorcycle. She said the shots did not cross her mind at the time.
Police and other agencies in the region posted sympathy for the Fargo police on Facebook.
“Thinking of our brothers and sisters in Fargo,” read a post from the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police.
The Glenwood Fire Department in Minnesota posted: “Keep the blue lights on to show our support for not only local law enforcement, but also those affected by today’s events!”
