Washington, Oct 14 (IANS): At least five people died after a shooting in the US state of North Carolina, authorities have confirmed.

The incident took place late Thursday evening in the city of Raleigh, reports Xinhua news agency.

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told reporters that an off-duty police officer was among the victims.

Earlier in the evening, Raleigh Police Department had tweeted that they "are currently on the scene of an active shooting in the area of the Neuse River Greenway near Osprey Cove Drive and Bay Harbor Drive".

Later, the law enforcement added that "the suspect has been taken into custody".

In a statement, Baldwin said: "This is a sad and tragic day for the city of Raleigh... All of us in Raleigh right now need to come together. We need to support those in our community who have suffered a terrible loss. A loss of a loved one. We need to support the family of the police officer who was killed and also the police officer who was shot."

State Governor Roy Cooper said that "tonight, terror has reached our doorstep. The nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh".

Cooper said he spoke with the Mayor and "instructed state law enforcement to provide assistance responding to the active shooter in East Raleigh".

"State and local officers are on the ground and working to stop the shooter and keep people safe," the Governor added.