1 dead, officer hurt in school shooting
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A teenage boy was killed and a police officer wounded Monday afternoon in a shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, police and sources told Knox News.
The Knoxville Police Department confirmed the fatality in an emailed statement, and confirmed the shooting without details on its Twitter account. The shooting occurred at about 3:15 p.m. A medical examiner’s vehicle left the school about 5 p.m.
One source with direct knowledge of the incident who was not authorized to speak told Knox News the wounded police officer is the Austin-East school resource officer, and was shot in the hip.
The source also said one person was detained. Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas and Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon did not address who shot whom and did not take questions at a press conference Monday night.
Thomas tweeted at 4:20 p.m. that the school had been secured.
Austin-East will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Board of Education member Evetty Satterfield. Classes will not be held online, either.
“What happened here today is a terrible tragedy and I’m heartbroken that this awful incident occurred in one of our schools,” Thomas said at the press conference, adding that grief counselors would be available for students.
Police and emergency workers flooded the neighborhood around 3 p.m., and blocked off access to the school and parts of the neighborhood.
Knox County Schools established a reunification site at the baseball field behind the school near Wilson Avenue and Hembree Street for parents to connect with their children who attend the school.
The shooting deaths of four Knoxville teens since late January have become the rallying cry for community members pushing for an end to gun violence.
In the emotional weeks after the deaths, the Knoxville City Council approved a $1 million budget to help fund the city’s efforts of violence prevention. A first contract, with Cities United, was approved last week. Many applauded the first steps but say much more is needed to combat systemic issues like poverty and unequal education and economic opportunities.