N.C. Police Officer Killed in Clash with Gunman at Grocery Store

A police officer was shot dead in a Food Lion while responding to reports of a man with a firearm, authorities said.

The shooting happened at about 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, fatally wounding Officer Michael Horan, Greensboro Police Chief MJ Harris said in a news release shared on Facebook. A suspect was later apprehended, he said.

“Together, we are mourning Officer Horan, who was a husband, father, son, friend and much more to his family,” Harris said.

The circumstances leading to the shooting are still being investigated, authorities said. Further information has not been released.

In a statement following the shooting, Food Lion said the store will remain closed while police continue to investigate, WXII reported.

“He was an excellent officer. He had an outstanding reputation inside the Department and the community,” Harris said.

Horan began working at the Greensboro Police Department in September 2017 and before that served as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, according to an online fundraiser.

In 2019, he received an award for saving a man and his son from drowning while off-duty on a beach trip with his family, according to the fundraiser.

“Officer Horan was a man of service,” the fundraiser said. “ ... The loss of a man like Michael Horan rips a hole in the hearts of his family, squad mates, friends and community.”

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