FLORENCE, SC — Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday, one of them fatally, as authorities served a search warrant in Florence, according to reports. The Associated Press reported that an elderly man began shooting at deputies who had come to serve the warrant and barricaded himself.

Florence County Sheriff Kenny Boone said at a press conference that when officers went to the home they didn’t know the firepower the suspect had, The State reported. Gunfire reportedly started when officers arrived, per The State.

WPDE reported that of the seven officers who were shot, three were Florence County Sheriff’s deputies and four were Florence city officers. The news channel reported that the officer who had died was a Florence city officer identified as Terrence Carraway, 52.

The shooting was reported in Vintage Place off Hoffmeyer Road.

Authorities identified the shooter as Frederick Hopkins, 74, a disabled Vietnam veteran and disbarred lawyer who has faced several charges in recent years, starting with a 2014 count of disorderly conduct.

The search warrant involved an accusation that a 27-year-old person at the home sexually assaulted a foster child who lives in the home. Three Florence County deputies had come to serve the warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

Officials from across South Carolina, including Gov. Henry McMaster asked for prayers for the victims.

The ATF is also responding to the scene.

Reporting from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Photo: Blood-soaked evidence lies on Saxon Drive in the Vintage Place neighborhood where several members of law enforcement were shot, one fatally, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Florence, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

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