'It's rough.' Officers kill suspect firing at vehicles and responding Raleigh police officers: RPD

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two Raleigh police officers shot and killed a suspect who was reportedly shooting at passing cars.

Around 6:53 a.m., police got a report of someone with a gun pointing it at vehicles and multiple other calls about someone firing at occupied vehicles.

One woman told police she had to run a red light after she saw the suspect pointing a gun at her.

Officers searched the area and found the man on Cumberland Street. That's when police say the suspect shot at least five times at officers and two of them returned fire hitting the suspect.

The man was taken to the hospital but later died.

A preliminary investigation revealed the suspect shot four vehicles, two of them were police cars that had officers near them.

Chief Patterson said some of the 911 callers worked at the school.

"It was in the vicinity of Ligon, in fact some of the 911 callers were teachers from the school."

Just two blocks up the street, longtime resident Sylvia Wiggins runs the Helping Hand Mission, and said these types of incidents have become too commonplace.

"It's a tragic situation, but I'm just - I've almost got numb with it," she said. "Cause so much is going on all the time. And, I'm just - it's kind of rough right now."

Wiggins said the once tight-knit community has undergone considerable changes in recent years and wants to see a more proactive approach in the future.

"So you really don't get a chance to know your neighbors. We need some neighborhood watch, we need people to know who they have next door, who they have across the street," Wiggins said.

Due to the proximity of the shooting to Ligon Middle School, Wake County Public Schools put the school on Code Yellow lockdown.

Ligon Middle School Principal Gary Duvall sent the following statement to parents:

"At approximately 7 a.m., we were made aware of police activity occurring in a community adjacent to our campus and we went into Code Yellow. Our school entered Code Green at 7:25 a.m.

In a community lockdown, all exterior doors of the school are locked and no one is allowed to enter or exit the building. Students are permitted to move between classrooms and the school operates "business as usual" with the exception of no outside activities. Because the Code Yellow lockdown corresponded with morning arrival, students who had not yet entered the school remained in cars and on buses until law enforcement provided the all clear and we moved back into Code Green at 7:25 a.m."

No one else was injured in the shooting.

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The two officers have been placed on administrative leave.

A five-day report will be released on the deadly shooting.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at 919-996-1193.