NC Food Lion shooting: Greensboro officer killed responding to grocery store days before Christmas
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Greensboro police officer Michael Horan was killed responding to a call at a Food Lion just two days before Christmas.
Horan was called to the Food Lion store on Lawndale Drive just off Interstate 840 in northern Greensboro after reports of a man with a firearm inside the store.
Shortly after Horan arrived, shots were fired inside the store. Horan was fatally hit.
"Circumstances of what led to the shooting are currently being investigated," Assistant Police Chief MJ Harris said during a news conference Monday afternoon.
Horan was hired in 2017 and became a sworn officer in 2018. Greensboro Police Department said he was an "excellent" officer with an outstanding reputation. He was also a husband and father.
Memorials have been set up in his honor at police headquarters. One will be located outside and the other in the main lobby.
The Greensboro Police Officer Association set up a fundraiser online. Donations will go to supporting Horan's family in their time of need.
The identity of the person accused of shooting and killing Horan has not been released. However, that person is in police custody.
ABC11 sources said a police chase that ended several hours after the Food Lion shooting and 150 miles away in Duplin County was connected to the case.
That chase ended at Exit 355 (NC-403) near Warsaw. I-40 eastbound is closed at Exit 355. Westbound traffic is slowed because one lane is blocked in the area.
Food Lion released the following statement about the incident:
"Food Lion is deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at our store located at 4709 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. As this is an active investigation, we are directing all questions to local law enforcement. Food Lion is cooperating with authorities and the store will remain closed while the police investigation continues. We are providing resources to support our associates during this difficult time."
Horan is the second Greensboro police officer killed in the past 12 months. Officer Philip Dale Nix was off-duty when he was shot and killed Dec. 30, 2023, at a Sheetz convenience store while attempting to stop a crime in progress. Three people were arrested in Nix's shooting death.
