KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -According to Knoxville officials, a student at Austin-East High School has been identified as the suspect and person deceased in a shooting at Austin-East High School Monday afternoon.
TBI says, around 3:15 p.m. Monday, the Knoxville Police Department responded to a report of a possibly armed person with a gun at Austin-East Magnet High School.
Upon arrival, officers located the individual inside a school restroom. TBI officials say, officers ordered the individual out, but he refused to comply.
As officers entered the restroom, the suspect reportedly fired shots, striking an officer. Officials say, one officer returned fire.
The suspect has been identified as an Austin-East High School student and was pronounced dead at the scene. No information has been released if the returned fire struck the student.
Officials say, the officer was transported to UT Medical Center and Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon confirmed the officer is conscious and in good spirits. The officer is currently recovering at UT Medical Center.
KPD says, multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the incident including Knoxville Fire Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Nashville (ATF Nashville) and TBI. The Knoxville Fire Department said they were some of the first on the scene. Fire officials said officers worked as shields for firefighters as they worked to find injured individuals.
“ATF will be working with the Knoxville PD as well as focusing on the tracing of firearms and the recovery of shell cases which will be entered into NIBIN to see if there are any connections to previous shootings,” said ATF in a statement.
KPD said a reunification site had been established at the baseball field behind Austin-East High School near Wilson and South Hembree.
Following the shooting, Knox Co. Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas notified the public regarding the school building being secured. “The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families,” said KCS Superintendent Bob Thomas.
Mayor Kincannon commended Austin-East School staff for their work to protect students. She also praised the officer who was shot on the scene for risking his life for the safety of the students.
“We all need to work together to stop the violence,” Kincannon said. “It’s a big challenge and we’re going to need the whole city to work together.”
Austin-East Behavior Interventionist, Quana Fields, told WVLT’s Ashley Bohle she and other staff members were inside the school building around 4:00 p.m. while police continued their investigation.
Knox Co. Mayor Kincannon and KCS Superintendent Bob Thomas released a statement in a media briefing Monday night following the fatal shooting at Austin-East High School.
“Let’s work together to stop the violence in Knoxville,” said Mayor Kincannon. “We lost someone particularly close to the community,” says Mayor Kincannon KCS Bob Thomas says Austin-East will have counselors available at the school on Tuesday, April 13.
The TBI will lead the investigation. WVLT is continuing to update with the latest information.
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