One person dead, officer injured after shooting at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee
One person has died and a police officer was injured after a shooting at a high school Monday in Knoxville, Tennessee, police said in a news release.
Knoxville Police Department (KPD) said multiple law enforcement agencies responded to Austin-East Magnet High School for reports of a person “who was possibly armed in the school.”
When officers approached the person, shots were fired, police said.
A KPD officer was hit at least one time and taken to UT Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while another was detained for further investigation. Their ages and identities were not immediately released.
“There are no other known gunshot victims,” police said in a statement.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will be leading the investigation of the incident, the news release said.
Following the shooting, a reunification site was set up at the baseball field behind the school, police said in a tweet.
“We are gathering information about this tragic situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible,” Bob Thomas, Knox County Schools superintendent, said in a tweet. “The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families.”
Austin-East Magnet High School will be closed for the next two days, according to a tweet from Knox County Schools.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon told CNN affiliate WVLT that she met with the injured officer and thanked him for putting his life on the line for the students and staff at the school.
“He is conscious and he’s in good spirits. I met with his wife, he’s going to be OK,” she said, adding that the officer will need to undergo surgery. “He said that he’d rather that he be hurt than anybody else.”
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler tweeted his condolences to the injured officer and his family.
“Our prayers are with our LEO family @Knoxville_PD especially the officer shot in the line of duty this afternoon,” Spangler wrote. “We wish him a full & speedy recovery! Additionally, we are praying for the entire Austin East Community this evening.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn said she was “heartbroken to hear about the shooting.”
“My office has been briefed on the situation and I am praying for the community, including the officer injured in the line of duty,” she tweeted.
