ASHEVILLE — An active shooter was reported near a North Carolina courthouse on Tuesday, but authorities quickly followed up to say the area was no longer under threat. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt.
The Buncombe County local government reported on Twitter that an active shooter had been reported at the address of the courthouse in downtown Asheville in the western part of the state. The Buncombe County Sheriff later tweeted that the courthouse was secure and there was no longer a threat. The sheriff’s office tweeted that the situation didn’t happen inside the courthouse.
District Attorney Todd Williams tweeted that his staff was not injured and that he believed other courthouse personnel were OK.
Local news outlets showed images of officers swarming the area around the Buncombe County Courthouse, and Williams said he heard several gunshots.
Williams told the Asheville Citizen-Times that he heard as many as four gunshots, and courthouse employees were told to shelter in place and stay away from the windows.
Williams said he saw two or three dozen law enforcement officers” around the courthouse.