A South Carolina police officer was killed and another officer was injured after what was described as a gunfight between them and a suspect who also died in the confrontation, Columbia Police Department Chief W.H. "Skip" Holbrook said.

Big picture view: The fallen officer, who was identified as Christopher DeLong, 29, had been with the Columbia Police Department for two years and leaves behind a wife and two young children, a visibly choked-up Holbrook said during a news conference.

He added, "Our hearts are broken this evening." DeLong's wife paid tribute to her husband in a post that described him as the "best dad to our babies" and said that she was "living a nightmare." What they're saying: "I hope that our officers know that they're not alone in this. We will lean on each other in this tragic time," Holbrook said.