Mother, two children shot dead after violent altercation in North Carolina

A quiet Fayetteville neighbourhood was rocked on Sunday night after a triple shooting claimed the lives of a mother and her two children.

Fayetteville Police officers responded to reports of gunfire at a home on North Sumac Circle.

When they arrived, they found 50-year-old Cheri Smith and her son, 29-year-old Erin Poole, both deceased at the scene, reports CBS' WGHP.

Her daughter, 23-year-old Amanda Smith, had also been shot and was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where she later died, authorities confirmed.

Investigators said the violence was tied to an earlier altercation between Cheri Smith and a 25-year-old associate, Nijyle Lewis.

Police allege that after the confrontation, Lewis stabbed himself multiple times and sought help at a neighbouring home. He was treated at a local hospital for life-threatening injuries and remained in stable condition on Monday.

Authorities have identified Lewis as the suspected shooter in the deaths of Smith and her two children.

He has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, though warrants had not been served as of Monday while he continues to receive medical treatment.

Fayetteville police described the incident as isolated and said that there was no ongoing threat to the wider community.

"This appears to be a domestic situation that tragically escalated," a department spokesperson said.