A police officer was seriously wounded and a suspect was dead following a shooting at the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center in South Carolina Monday night.
Officials say that a man armed with a shotgun fired at the officer around 10:20 p.m. and struck him three times before turning the gun on himself, according to WYFF-TV.
The deceased gunman was identified by the corner as 23-year-old Evan Casey Bennett. Officials said Bennett is connected to a homicide that occurred in Greenville about an hour earlier.
Interim Police Chief Mike Gambrell told reporters that the wounded officer, who was shot twice in the side and once in the forearm, required surgery overnight.
"First thing I want to do is encourage everybody to pray for our officers because we have an officer in surgery at the hospital," Gambrell said. "I encourage our citizens to pray for his well-being. Our hearts go out to him."
Officials say the incident began when Bennet went to the front door of the building and tried to enter. After discovering the door was locked, he fired multiple times, shattering the glass.
The officers at the front desk were uninjured, but called for backup. A responding officer pulled up as the man was leaving the front of the building and commanded him to drop his weapon. Bennett then opened fire on the five-year veteran before killing himself.
The incident is currently under investigation.
