A student opened fire on officers responding to a report of a possible gunman at a Tennessee high school Monday and police shot back and killed him, authorities said.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David B. Rausch said at a news conference Monday that police found the student in a bathroom at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, a city about 180 miles east of Nashville. They ordered him out, but he wouldn’t comply, and that’s when he reportedly opened fire, Rausch said. Police fired back.
The student died at the school, and an officer was wounded and taken into surgery, authorities said. No one else was hurt.
“It’s a sad day for Knoxville, and it’s tough for Austin-East,” Rausch said.
The shooting comes as the community reels from off-campus gun violence that has left three Austin-East students dead this year and as more classrooms are reopening to students after months of remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic, which cut down the number of mass killings in the U.S. The nation has seen series of mass shootings in recent weeks, including eight people killed at three Atlanta-area massage businesses on March 16 and 10 people killed at Colorado supermarket on March 22.
Earlier Monday, the Knoxville Police Department tweeted that there were “multiple gunshot victims reported” at the school, including a police officer. The officer was transferred to UT Medical Center with “injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening,” officials said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will take the lead on the ongoing investigation.
Authorities wrote in a statement that “one male was pronounced deceased at the scene, while another was detained for further investigation.” Officials did not clarify if the deceased was also a suspect. No other injuries were reported.
Knoxville County Schools superintendent Bob Thomas also tweeted late Monday afternoon: “The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families.”
Officials have not yet identified a suspect, or released any names of potential victims.
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.
Last week, the Republican governor signed off on legislation that would make Tennessee the latest state to soon allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns – openly or concealed — without first clearing a background check and training. Lee backed the legislation over objections from law enforcement groups, who argued that the state’s existing permit system provided an important safeguard for knowing who should or shouldn’t be carrying a gun.
The law, which does not apply to long guns, will take effect July 1. The new measure also increases certain penalties. For example, theft of a firearm – now a misdemeanor that carries a 30-day sentence – will become a felony with a mandatory six month incarceration. It also makes exceptions for people with certain mental illnesses and criminal convictions.
When asked earlier this year whether recent mass shootings in Georgia, Colorado and others gave him any concern about timing, Lee has previously said the increased penalties mean that “we in fact will be strengthening laws that would help prevent gun crimes in the future.”
State Rep. Sam McKenzie, who represents the district and went to the school, said in a statement, “I am at a loss to describe my sadness as yet another horrific act of gun violence has happened in my community,” urging people to “reclaim the sanctity of our beloved neighborhood.”
“This is the fourth unnecessary shooting involving the Austin East community this year and we must make sure we take every step and make every effort to prevent these tragedies from continuing to occur,” McKenzie’s statement said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
