Police: Officer wounded, 1 dead in Tennessee school shooting
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A confrontation in a Tennessee high school that involved police officers responding to a report of a possible armed man, left one person dead and an officer wounded, authorities said.
No other persons were killed or wounded, police said, adding the scene had been secured at the Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville following the afternoon shooting. Authorities said only that a male was deceased but added another person was detained for -further investigation.
The Knoxville Police Department posted on Facebook that officers responded to reports of a male subject who was possibly armed at the school around around 3:15 p.m.
“Upon approach of the subject, shots were fired,” the post said. “A Knoxville Police officer was struck at least one time and transported to the hospital with injuries that are not expected to be life threatening. One male was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The school was the subject of media reports in February after three students were shot to death over a three-week span. Those earlier shootings did not take place in the school, and administrators at the time said students felt the arts magnet school was a safe space, according to a story in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The Knoxville Police Department tweeted that authorities were at the site of the shooting at Austin-East Performing Arts Magnet High School. The online posting said a Knoxville Police Department officer was reported among the victims.
Bob Thomas, the superintendent of Knox County Schools, tweeted later Monday that a shooting had occurred but the building had been secured.
“The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families,” Thomas said. He added in a separate tweet that authorities were gathering information and about “this tragic situation” and that additional information would be provided later.
