LEXINGTON, N.C. — An off-duty Lexington police officer was killed in a shooting that also left two others wounded, including an off-duty firefighter, police said.
Lexington police officers responded to reports of a shooting around 9 p.m. on Dec. 17 in a parking lot on Cedar Lane Drive, outside the Home and Appliance King store near Cotton Grove Road, The Charlotte Observer reports. Officers found three people suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police identified the victims as Kaitlin Crook, 25, Joshua Moore, 31, and Zachary Rogers, 35.
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Crook, a Lexington Police Department officer, was off duty at the time and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rogers, a Lexington firefighter and Crook’s estranged husband, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He was also off duty at the time of the shooting, police said. Moore, a Thomasville resident and Crook’s current boyfriend, was also taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition and expected to recover.
Police said both men were armed when they encountered each other in the parking lot and shots were fired, striking all three individuals. Crook was the only person fatally wounded, police said.
Two handguns were recovered at the scene — one believed to belong to Rogers and another believed to belong to Moore, according to police. Authorities said no other individuals are believed to have been involved in the incident.
“There are no words that can adequately capture the weight of what so many people are feeling during this terrible and devastating time,” Lexington Police Chief Robby D. Rummage said in a statement. “Losing a police officer is every chief’s worst nightmare. My heart is heavy, and my prayers are with everyone touched by this tragedy.”
The Lexington Police Department has made counseling and support services available to its officers.
Lexington Fire Chief Michael R. Tofano also addressed the incident, calling it “a profound tragedy that deeply affects the public safety family in the City of Lexington as well as all City employees, the Lexington community and beyond,” WXII reports. The fire department has also made counseling services available to its personnel.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.
“There are a lot of things we simply don’t know yet about this terrible tragedy,” Chief Rummage said. “We simply have to wait for the NCSBI investigation to answer those questions.”
The North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police issued a statement extending condolences to Crook’s family, friends and colleagues.
“The North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Kaitlin Crook of the Lexington Police Department, who was tragically killed last night. Officer Crook was not on duty at the time of the incident, and media reports indicate this was a domestic violence situation. As we approach the holiday season, we ask everyone to keep all those affected by this heartbreaking loss in your thoughts and prayers.”
