Sheriff: Florence, SC shooting suspect set up house to ambush officers, more than 129 guns found in home

FLORENCE, S.C. —

Authorities say more than 129 guns were found inside the South Carolina home of a man charged with killing a police officer and wounding six others earlier this month.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Tuesday that it appeared only three of the guns were fired at the officers on Oct. 3 — a pistol and two military-style assault rifles.

Lott said 74-year-old Frederick Hopkins set his house up to ambush law enforcement officers and said it was fortunate more officers weren’t hurt or killed.

He said 52-year-old Terrence Carraway, who died in the shooting, had “no chance at all.” Carraway had recently celebrated 30 years as a police officer.

Hopkins was hurt, but authorities haven’t said how he was injured or how he was captured.

Lott says Hopkins shot at officers coming to question his 28-year-old son about a child sex assault case.

Florence, a city in South Carolina’s northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It’s the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, an area recently affected by heavy flooding in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

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