One officer was fatally shot and two others wounded in an active shooting in Jersey City, New Jersey, according to local officials.
The officer was among four people wounded in an afternoon shooting that has prompted lockdowns at local schools, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
The two surviving officers were described as being in stable condition. The fourth victim shot is a civilian, prosecutors said.
A spokesman for the Bayonne Police Department confirmed to HuffPost that officers were responding to the shooting that, according to multiple reports, is near a Kosher supermarket.
Two gunmen are barricaded inside a convenience store after opening fire with a long rifle, hitting at least one police officer in the shoulder, reported The New York Times.
A person who answered the phone at a nearby business in the Greenville neighborhood told HuffPost that the situation is unfolding at JC Kosher Supermarket.
Gunshots continued to ring out as police tried to approach the scene, according to local media reports.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement posted to Twitter said he has been briefed on the situation and that his “thoughts and prayers” are with the city’s police force, the officers wounded, and local residents.
“I have every confidence in our law enforcement professionals to ensure the safety of the community and resolve this situation. Today reminds us of their bravery and the sacrifices they, and their families, make for our communities,” he tweeted.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it’s responding to the situation.
All schools in the area have been placed on lockdown as a precaution. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop assured in a statement that all of its schools are secure and its children accounted for.
A spokesperson for Sacred Heart School, a Catholic elementary school across the street from the Jewish grocer, confirmed an ongoing lockdown to HuffPost just after 3 p.m., saying “events are still unfolding.”
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness said it is coordinating with local, county, state and federal partners. The White House also said that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation.
“We need a lot of prayers right now for Jersey City officers,” tweeted the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association. “Keep all those involved in your thoughts.”
Local resident Andy Patel, who works at a liquor store about three blocks away from the site of the shooting, described hearing consistent gunfire for about an hour on Tuesday afternoon.
“I can hear the gunshots. It’s like firecrackers going off. They were shooting like crazy about an hour ago. Then it stopped for like 20 or 30 minutes. The cops were clearing everyone off the streets,” he told The Associated Press.
Jersey City is located across the Hudson River from Manhattan, New York City. It’s the state’s second most populous city with a population of roughly 265,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Andy Campbell and Sara Boboltz contributed reporting.