A North Carolina man has been charged with first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of Greensboro Police Officer Michael Horan, said authorities on Tuesday. The incident, which took place in a Food Lion supermarket on Monday, shook the community just days before Christmas. Tarell Isaac McMillian, a 34-year-old Greensboro resident, is allegedly responsible for the officer's death and is currently held without bond in the Guilford County Jail, as confirmed by multiple local news sources.
The series of events began with reporting a man with a gun in the supermarket. Officer Horan, responding to the call, was shot before midday, resulting in fatal injuries. After fleeing the scene, McMillian led police on a multi-county vehicle pursuit before being apprehended without further incident near the Sampson County-Duplin County line. According to WBTV, McMillian now also faces charges related to reckless driving and other traffic violations stemming from the chase.
Officer Horan, who was hired in 2017 and became a sworn officer in early 2018, was remembered for his service to the Greensboro community and as a U.S. Coast Guard member since 2000. "He was an excellent officer. He had an outstanding reputation inside the department and in the community," Assistant Police Chief Milford J. Harris said, as quoted in a statement obtained by WBTV. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is still investigating details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting.
In a region where violence against law enforcement comes at a heavy cost both for the families affected and the wider public, the loss of Officer Horan was acknowledged by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. Being grateful for Horan’s "brave, dedicated service," he honored the fallen officer, a husband and a father, who "courageously doing his duty protecting Greensboro when he became the victim of a senseless act of violence," according to a report by 6abc. Food Lion, the site of the tragedy, remains closed as the investigation continues and has extended resources to support affected workers amid the aftermath.
