A man shot seven police officers in South Carolina, killing one, in a standoff so dangerous that police had to use a bullet-proof vehicle to rescue the wounded, authorities said.

The man also held children hostage for two hours in his Florence home on Wednesday afternoon, but they were released safely as the suspect was taken into custody, Florence County Sheriff’s Maj. Mike Nunn said.

It was a stunning shooting in an area already reeling from record flooding from Hurricane Florence. The sheriff and police chief both cried as they spoke to reporters just hours after the shooting.

“I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known,” Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said of Terrence Carraway. City of Florence spokesperson John Wukela confirmed Carraway’s death to The Associated Press late on Wednesday. Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had recently celebrated 30 years as a police officer. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy will be performed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the coroner’s office.