WASHINGTON: Two police officers were killed in Boone, North Carolina in a shooting incident that left five people dead, including the shooter, after a 13-hour standoff, police said on Thursday.

US police, who are under scrutiny over the deaths of citizens in police shootings or during arrests, say they increasingly face high risks because of the spread of firearms across the country. The Watauga County Sheriff’s Department said the two officers, Logan Fox and Chris Ward, were killed on Wednesday after visiting a resident to check on the occupants after one had not shown up for work and did not answer phone calls.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2021