OAN’s Roy Francis
9:31 AM – Saturday, July 15, 2023
One police officer was killed and two others were critically injured in a shooting in Fargo, North Dakota on Friday that also left the suspect dead.
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In a statement released by law enforcement late on Friday night, police confirmed that an officer had been killed in the shooting while two others were critically injured. It was also confirmed that a civilian had also sustained injuries. The statement did not provide any further details about a motive or the events leading to the shooting.
Eye witnesses said that they saw a man open fire indiscriminately towards officers before they returned fire, killing him.
Shannon Nicole told KFGO Radio that she was driving by the scene as the shooting happened.
“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove, shots were fired and I saw the cops go down,” Nichole said. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through my driver’s door.”
Chenoa Peterson told the Associated Press that she was driving by with her 22-year-old daughter when the shooting began. She said her first instinct was to pull over and help, but having her daughter with her had convinced her to leave.
“He proceeds to aim it and you just hear the bullets go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s shooting!’” she said. “It’s weird knowing that if you were 10 seconds earlier you could have been in that.”
Other witnesses said that police converged on a residential area around two miles away and gathered what is believed to be evidence in relation to the shooting.
The police department has not revealed the identity of the officer who lost his life, or the ones who were injured. Gregg Shildberger, Chief Communications Officer for the city told reporters that they are releasing as much information as possible, but that the police department is still working through the shooting.
“We sincerely are asking for your patience and our community’s patience and understanding as the Fargo Police Department works through this incident,” he said. “This is very difficult on all of us. We are releasing as much information as we can at this point. … We appreciate all the messages from the community that have been given to us in support of our officers.”
The Fargo Police Department said that more information will be released at a press conference later on Saturday.
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