North Carolina police said in a press release that Lucas Murphy shot and killed three tree care workers and wounded himself in a shootout with police on Wednesday.

All four injured people were hospitalized, the Yancey County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) said in a Facebook post. (Related: Woman allegedly stabbed murder victim 11 times, killed cat: Reports)

Police allege that Murphy “confronted contract workers who were clearing the utility's right-of-way,” resulting in three workers being “severely injured.” YCSO further alleges that when officers responded to the scene and attempted to arrest the suspect, he fired shots at officers.

An officer then shot and killed Murphy, authorities said. YSCO and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation have begun an investigation into the incident.

Yancey County Sheriff Shane Hilliard said in a Facebook post that his “thoughts and prayers” go out to the shooting victim and that he “hopes for a speedy recovery.”

“I am very proud of our amazing deputies and dispatchers, they responded brilliantly and quickly got the situation under control,” the sheriff added.

The North Carolina District Attorney's Office for the 35th Prosecutor's District wrote on social media that Murphy was charged with “three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill resulting in serious bodily injury, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and four felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.”

The suspect has a criminal record and was tried in 2021 for “felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill causing serious bodily injury,” the post said. The victim in the 2021 incident was “Joshua Murphy, the defendant's brother.” Lucas was convicted and sentenced for “assault with a deadly weapon, a misdemeanor.”