No one was hurt when gunfire erupted early Thursday outside the Carrollton Police Department Headquarters, police say.
Three police officers were arriving for their shift at about 4:40 a.m. when one gunshot was fired in their direction, department spokeswoman Jolene DeVito said. The officers took cover in the parking lot as more gunshots were heard.
No arrests have been made. Investigators have not yet released a description of the shooter and it's not clear if the officers were targeted or if the shots were fired at random, DeVito said.
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A sergeant, a veteran patrol officer and a rookie were dressed in plain-clothing walking in the gated parking lot.
There is no body camera video because the men were not yet wearing their uniforms.
Officers initially heard one shot.
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“As soon as they turned their attention toward the sound of the shot, several more shots were fired,” said DeVito. “Seven to eight were fired.”
So far nine shell casings have been recovered, DeVito said. Police are working with the FBI and ATF to canvass the area for evidence.
Agents canvassed the commercial and residential area gathering surveillance video and evidence from the shooting.
“We found several rounds down there [near the hill], so did it hit a tree or not? It’s kind of hard to tell. But the three officers who were in the parking lot all report they heard a ‘ping’ as if it hit the fence,” said DeVito.
The department’s public information officer said they have not received any threats of violence recently, but detectives are not ruling anything out in this incident.
So far, investigators have not found damage to the building, which is equipped with bulletproof glass, according to DeVito.
Nothing is being ruled out as a motive, especially given the climate facing law enforcement officers across the nation, said DeVito.
“We know we are the Carrollton Police Department. We’ve been here for several years. But no, we don’t have any specific evidence that this person was shooting at police officers,” she said. “Today would be just kind of another reminder of the dangers of the job.”
In a tweet, police said the roads surrounding the headquarters building -- East Jackson Road, Rainwater Lane and a portion of Scott Mill Road -- were closed Thursday during the investigation.
If the shooting is determined to have targeted the department of officers, the shooter could face charges including attempted aggravated assault, said DeVito.
