Breaking News
School Shooter Dead, Officer Wounded in Knoxville Incident
Responding to reports of a school shooter in Tennessee, police responded to the scene and came upon a lone gunman. When the latter fired at police officers who asked him to come out, police shot back and killed the shooter. An officer sustained injuries during the shootout.
RELATED: Orange, California Shooting: 4 Dead Including 1 Boy
Police Prevented a School Shooting
On Monday, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a report of a possibly armed suspect inside Austin-East Magnet High School. Officers who arrived at the scene found the suspect in a school bathroom. After refusing requests to come out, the shooter opened fire when police officers tried to enter the bathroom.
An officer returned fire and hit the school shooter. When the smoke cleared, the shooter, a high school student, lay dead at the scene. The officer sustained injuries and went to the hospital for treatment after the gun battle.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch clarified that the incident is not a school shooting. “This wasn’t a school shooting, this was an officer-involved shooting inside of a school. Much different. The student hadn’t done anything with the firearm until the officers engaged. So it’s not a school shooting,” he said. “It's our worst fear, an active shooter in a school,” Knoxville Police Chief Eve Thomas added.
Area Secured
By late Monday afternoon, police officers managed to secure the Austin-East Magnet High School building. Bob Thomas, superintendent of Knox County Schools reported that students were safe with their families. In addition, Police set up a reunification site at the school baseball field.
Meanwhile, the injured officer remains conscious and in good spirits, according to Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon told reporters. As for the shooter, it remains unclear why the school shooter brought a gun to school or why he fired at officers.
In the meantime, classes will remain suspended for at least the next two days to allow students to recover from the incident. Thomas said counselors will be available at the school for students who need assistance. Thomas said he will decide later about the rest of the week's classes. “We are all devastated by this tragedy,” he said.
Officer A Hero
The injured and yet-unnamed officer is conscious and is going to be OK, according to Mayor Kincannon. She said she spoke with him and he was in good spirits. “I thanked him for putting his life on the line to protect the students and staff at the school, and he said he'd rather he be hurt than anybody else,” the mayor said.
The Knoxville Fire Department said they trained for these kinds of incidents. Fire Department Captain Corcoran said that the department co-trained with the KPD's SWAT team for incidents like this. This includes “entering into a potential hot zone where it's unknown if there is still an active shooter on the loose,” which is what happened in this case.
“Unfortunately that training was used today when responding to Austin East high school. As far as our response to the incident, it was a successful one,” Corcoran noted.
Knoxville’s Spate of Incidents
Monday’s shooting is the latest in a series of teen-related violence in Knoxville. Earlier this year, three Austin-East students died in less than three weeks. Two of the victims were 15, and the other was 16. Police have yet to connect this latest incident to the previous shootings. According to Scott Erland, KPD public information officer, police don’t have evidence to suggest the connection between the incidents.
Watch the CNBC news video reporting that at least 1 dead, officer injured from a school shooting in Knoxville, Tennessee:
Loading ...Given the recent spate of teen violence, what do you think students of Austin-east high school need right now?
Share your thoughts about moving on from incidents like these. Drop your comments below.
12 Comments
Shep is a hack.
Prayer and guidance begins in the home not in the schools. God was taken out of the schools supported by the majority that did not stand up and fight now the Parents want the schools to fix the problem. Where was the parent when the student left for school? Did they pray over their children and remind them their expectations? Schools are for education and teaching children the values of life it should be taught in the home… God bless all !!!
It’s awesome that the police killed the shooter immediately. Why waste law abiding taxpayers money for costly legal proceedings, detainment and imprisonment. Armed trained security should be in every school at every grade level. Wake up America! Why are there armed guards and metal detectors at every county municipal building and court house but none at the schools?. Are our children not as important as judges,lawyers and secretaries????[
You want to give them space to process what happened, because what a child has been through after a shooting can be and is very traumatic and will scar their brains for the rest of their lives. Be patient with your child as I know you will want to know everything that’s going on and through his/her mind. As the child’s parent(s), you also want to let them know they are loved, they are in a safe home and environment, and you are there for them at ANY time, day, night, or in the middle of the night, for whatever reason that may be ( i.e. hug, a shoulder to cry on, to talk to, they may have had a nightmare, etc.).
So, to whomever made this survey up, in my opinion option “A” and “B” should be put together and made to be an option to vote on, because these 2 are important.
Once again where are the parents, take pledge of allegiance out of picture and you loose integrity. Great job by police and I’m sure this kid was on some kind of list! Where were school counselors, teachers, onceagain a failure with liberal policies
I’m so glad that they caught the person responsible for this school shooting! To the police officer that was wounded, I want to let you know my family and I are praying for you. I want to thank ALL law enforcement involved for doing your job with excellence and seeing to it that no child or teacher was shot or harmed in anyway. From the bottom of our hearts ♥️, we thank you for all you do!
BRANDY says
Hey Brandy, those children have seen an average of three murders a day when watching broadcast TV. They are constantly exposed to violence, misogyny, and obscenity in the “entertainment” they’re exposed to.
These children are cut off from family, religion, and any hint of patriotism by their teachers. Failure to comply with the edicts of the state are berated in full view of their peers by authoritarian socialists.
What those children need is to be removed from the indoctrination factories that have a demonstrated record of failure to provide education.
One has to wonder “WHY” so many shooting’s under bindens 1st 100 days in office? Maybe, because they see very little or NO HOPE? Or is it under this puppet president they think for what’s been going on in our streets as for these rioters get away what they do like distroy, burn, loot, deface America and there are no repercussions? “Meanwhile the crazy left progressive wing media calls them protests” and get angry if you call them for what’s they truly are, “RIOTS”! And our current woke administration does and says nothing put to try to curb and punish all of us with there new found power…..Wake the hell up America, demand better for this great country we all live in!!!! Email, call, write a letter to your state repersenative, congress, and state senators. “DEMAND” better from them all!!!!
Interesting how many shootings, and attempts under this new admin in such little time? Certainly helps commie Joe to try a gun grab. With thr government locked in and protected by our taxpaying dollars, and taking guns away, well, we’d be jist like China! Interesting…
Why a sudden spate of shootings?? Perhaps it’s intentional…..to further the left’s goal to disarm the entire population…..remember: The 2nd Amendment was written to enforce the 1st Amendment……first, they’ll take the guns, then they’ll take open and free speech, then there’ll be no crossing state lines, or only going to the store on a specific day of the week….THINK: Venezuela …Cuba….Iran….
Democrates suck
The best thing that ever happened to public school is during this Covid-19 crisis was the need for on line education . My oldest son now 30 was involved in a school violence situation in grade school he still has problems with that today. All 3 of my children have been home schooled not just because of incidents of violence but of them not learning life lessons. I teach teenagers in church classes they have no idea of how to do the most basic of things for instance they can not count change but they can dissect triangles and triangulate positions. I think its high time the parents take responsibility for their children’s actions and education. Is it easy to do ? not really … but you see where public education has gotten us so far!