A North Carolina police officer was shot and killed at a grocery store Monday morning, who officials said had "an outstanding reputation".

Greensboro Police Department Officer Michael Horan was attending an incident at a Food Lion store in the city involving an armed suspect when the shooting occurred at around 11 a.m. local time.

The Context

According to ABC News, Horan is the second officer to be killed in the city in the past 12 months, after Philip Dale Nix was shot dead on December 30, 2023. In September, Greensboro PD said violent crime and homicides were down significantly on last year, per Fox 8.

What To Know

Horan served with the police department since 2018, having served with the U.S. Coast Guard since 2000. A fundraising page in his honor stated that he had received a lifesaving award for saving the life of a man and his son at the beach in 2019.

Officer Horan was called out to the supermarket on the 4700 block of Lawndale Drive in Greensboro Monday morning, following reports of a man with a firearm. A shooting then took place and the officer was fatally wounded, the police department said.

The circumstances leading to the officer being shot were still being investigated, Chief MJ Harris told reporters at a briefing. The suspect was detained and there was no further threat to the public, he said.

"On behalf of the Greensboro Police Department, we want to thank our law enforcement partners across the state for your support and for your efforts today to quickly apprehend the suspect," the chief said. "We also want to thank our community for continuing to support our officers and their families during this difficult time."

A memorial page was set up in Horan's honor, seeking to raise $72,000 to support his family, while comments sections on the PD's Facebook page were flooded with comments from those who said they had experienced his service to the community.

What People Are Saying

City Manager Trey Davis, at the briefing Monday: "To put it simply, we are heartbroken. I want to express my love and support for the Greensboro Police family, a family I served along with for 17 years before stepping into this role. This is truly a family, a family that has been tested today."

Randolph County Sheriff's Office, in a comment on Facebook: "Sending our sincere condolences and sympathy to the Greensboro Police Department law enforcement family and the officer's family. Thank you to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for your actions and swift apprehension of the suspect."

Local Christos Thalassenos, in a comment on Facebook: "One heck of a fine officer, I work in that area and he had responded to plenty of my calls. I am saddened for his family and pray that God will pull them through this horrible horrific time in their life."

What's Next

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was asked to take over the case, officials said Monday. The suspect was yet to be named.