North Carolina: 5 killed in shooting, including police officer

Five people, including an off-duty police officer, were killed in a shooting on Thursday in Raleigh, the capital of the southern US state of North Carolina.

"This is a sad and tragic day for the city of Raleigh. Just after 5:00 pm today, multiple people were shot," Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told a press conference.

According to Baldwin, one of them was an off-duty Raleigh police officer. At least two other people including a police officer were wounded and taken to hospital, the mayor said.

"We must stop this mindless violence in America," Baldwin said.

The shooting broke out at or near the Neuse River Greenway, a trail that runs through part of the city. About three hours later police had a suspect "contained in a residence," Baldwin said.

According to Raleigh Police Lt. Jason Borne, the shooter was taken into custody around 9:37 p.m., hours after the shooting.

The suspect is a white juvenile male, the police said. He had a long gun (a firearm designed to be operated using both hands, such as a rifle or shotgun), ABC News affiliate WTVD reported.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said he spoke to Baldwin and was deploying state resources to assist at the scene.