Two Dead in Shooting |at Charleston Landmark

(CN) - Two people have died in a mysterious shooting on Charleston's iconic Arthur J. Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

According to the Mount Pleasant, S.C.,Police Department, authorities received a call at about 8:45 p.m. Thursday night from a passerby who found two people on the bridge who had suffered gunshot wounds.

The massive bridge, which links Mount Pleasant to downtown Charleston, is the third longest cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the starting location for the annual Cooper River Bridge Run, which is slated to be held on Saturday.

The bridge has a walking lane on its northbound side, and that's where the victims were found. The northbound vehicular of the bridge were closed for two-and-a-half hours Thursday night as a police investigation ensued.

"Based on the initial investigation, this does not appear to be a random shooting and at this time, we do not believe a suspect is at large," Mount Pleasant Police Investigator Chip Googe said.

The department said in a statement that the fatal shooting will not affect the bridge run set to begin Saturday morning. Over 36,000 have signed up to participate.

Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten and Mount Pleasant Police Chief Carl Ritchie have scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m.

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