CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Wednesday, crime scene investigators with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) returned to the scene of Monday's deadly standoff.
Three law enforcement officers serving on a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and one Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer were killed after they were met with "active gunfire" from a suspect at a home on Galway Drive. Five other officers were wounded. The suspect was killed.
The process to determine exactly what unfolded will take some time, according to CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings.
So far, Jennings said, they believe the suspect was shooting from upstairs, down onto officers outside.
The officers were wearing tactical gear, including body armor, and were trained in apprehending dangerous suspects, according to Jennings. He believes the suspect likely saw the officers coming before they arrived.
Retired Assistant FBI Director Chris Swecker is not connected to the case but shared the process that goes into similar arrests and what investigators will likely be looking into in the days ahead.
"You’re going to have to do a lot of ballistics in a situation like this and a lot of crime scene investigation," Swecker said. "Who shot who? Which weapons were fired that struck law enforcement officers? Who fired those weapons? What’s going to be interesting to see here is if the tactics were what they should’ve been."
Denise Dixon was one of many people to stop by the home Wednesday and view the damage. Much of the front of the house was destroyed during the SWAT team's emergency entry.
Dixon said one of her loved ones had been renting the home for a couple of years and was inside when the shootout happened.
It's unclear if her loved one will face charges. CMPD said they took a woman and a teenage girl in for questioning, but say they're cooperating with investigators.
While Dixon didn't know the shooter well, she said she knew he had a criminal past.
“When I sit back and see it, I just started crying ‘cause I could not believe this house. I’m like, they got to be crazy. I know they were scared. I know they were scared. They had to be," Dixon said. "Ain’t no telling what was going through his mind. You know? I’m looking at the bullet holes up there. Geez. C’mon now, really? I’m sorry for the four people that got killed and the other four or five that got shot.”
As the investigation continues, Jennings said they're not ruling out the possibility that a second person may have been shooting from inside the home, though, he said, they're currently not looking for any other suspects.