What happened in the Triangle today: Catch up with Friday’s top 5 stories
From a mall shooting in Raleigh to a statewide drought and a $100 million retail development in Apex, here are the top stories from The News & Observer.
These are the stories Triangle readers are talking about today.
- Mall shooting: This is a developing story and will be updated. Three people were shot at Triangle Town Center mall in North Raleigh on Friday afternoon after two groups exchanged words near the Express store. The victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and police recovered a firearm but were still searching for suspects.
- NC sues Trump: North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has sued the Trump administration roughly 20 times since taking office in 2025, winning six preliminary injunctions and seven court rulings in the state’s favor. Jackson said the legal challenges have protected more than $1.6 billion in state taxpayer money for education, health care and disaster relief.
- Statewide drought: All of North Carolina is in a drought, with about 95% of the state experiencing severe or extreme conditions. More than 40 water systems have mandatory or voluntary restrictions, and Raleigh will implement mandatory irrigation restrictions on Monday.
- $100M Apex development: Site work has begun on Veridea Crossing, a $100 million retail village in Apex with 220,000 square feet of retail and office space expected to deliver in late 2027. It is the first major commercial corridor inside Veridea, a $3 billion mixed-use development.
- Alligator at the bank: An 8-foot alligator was struck by a car in a Truist Bank drive-thru in Southport. It suffered minor injuries and was released into the wild at Green Swamp.
Best Italian restaurant
We asked for your favorite Italian restaurants in the Triangle, and now we’re down to the Top 15. Voting in Round 3 ends Monday at 10 a.m. and will determine the Top 5. Vote here.
Tell us
Triangle food scene: Chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern called the Triangle the most underrated food region on the East Coast. Do you agree? Email your thoughts to jdjackson@newsobserver.com.
This weekend
Stanley Cup playoffs: The Carolina Hurricanes play the Ottawa Senators Saturday with a 3 p.m. game at Lenovo Center. Here’s more on the schedule and the big goalie question.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 5:54 PM.