One dead and officer injured after Tennessee school shooting
12 April 2021, 23:04
Police urged people to avoid the area.
A confrontation in a Tennessee high school that involved police officers responding to a report of a possible armed man left one person dead and an officer wounded, authorities said.
No other people were killed or wounded, police said, adding the scene had been secured at the Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville following the afternoon shooting.
Authorities said only that a male was deed, but added another person was detained for further investigation.
The Knoxville Police Department posted on Facebook that officers responded to reports of a male subject who was possibly armed at the school around around 3:15pm.
Officer Involved Shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School At around 3:15 p.m. on Monday, April 12, 2021, multiple…
Posted by Knoxville Police Department – TN on Monday, April 12, 2021
“Upon approach of the subject, shots were fired,” the post said. “A Knoxville Police officer was struck at least one time and transported to the hospital with injuries that are not expected to be life threatening. One male was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The school was the subject of media reports in February after three students were shot dead over a three-week span.
Those earlier shootings did not take place in the school, and administrators at the time said students felt the arts magnet school was a safe space, according to a story in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The Knoxville Police Department tweeted that authorities were at the site of the shooting at Austin-East Performing Arts Magnet High School. The online posting said a Knoxville Police Department officer was reported among the victims.
Bob Thomas, the superintendent of Knox County Schools, tweeted later on Monday that a shooting had occurred but the building had been secured.
“The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families,” Mr Thomas said.
He added in a separate tweet that authorities were gathering information and about “this tragic situation” and that additional information would be provided later.
Police urged people to avoid the area, adding a reunification site had been set up on a baseball field behind the school for students to be reunited with family.
Details about the shooting remained sketchy and news outlets showed numerous police and emergency vehicles at the scene.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it was sending agents to the scene.
Gov Bill Lee mentioned the shooting at a news conference but said he had little information.
“I just wanted to make reference to that and ask, for those who are watching, online or otherwise, to pray for that situation and for the families and the victims that might be affected by that in our state,” he said.
