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Published on January 23, 2025
Raleigh Police, ATF Conclude 'Suspicious Items' in Shootout Suspect's Car Non-ThreateningSource: Google Street View

Following the unsettling events of a domestic-related shootout in Raleigh, the Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives  worked together to examine 'suspicious items' found in a vehicle associated with the incident. As CBS 17 reported, a search warrant executed on the suspect's car led to a discovery that prompted an investigation by the hazardous devices unit. A backpack, robotically extricated from the car, contained items which were later confirmed to not pose a threat.

The shootout, leaving two dead including the suspect, Antonio Rodrigues, 70, and an officer critically wounded, created a ripple of anxiety through the Renaissance Park neighborhood. The News & Observer detailed the police activity that saw a portion of Democracy Street turn into a scene swarmed by authorities and news choppers. The public was advised to keep a safe distance from the 600 block, while local residents were told to shelter in place until the area was secured.

Amidst the chaos, an unnerving silence ensued as the bomb squad meticulously assessed Rodrigues' white Honda, with out-of-state plates, parked about a block from where the shootout took place. Eventually, as police confirmed via social media, "suspicious items were found" but later deemed harmless. The announcement also included the lifting of the previously issued shelter-in-place order, as per News & Observer.

Police Chief Estella Patterson communicated on Tuesday night that the officer, who underwent surgery, was in critical but stable condition, without releasing their identity. The same WRAL report that detailed this also chronicled a harrowing account of a domestic violence victim fleeing her home amidst gunfire, providing a stark backdrop to the previous night's violence that resulted in the deaths of John Rowe, 73, and the suspect Rodrigues.