TV anchor can’t keep up with Knoxville shootings in ‘insane’ viral video

Tennessee School Shooting (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Tennessee School Shooting (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A TV news anchor in Knoxville got confused by different shooting incidents as police and sheriff’s officers simultaneously responded to gunfire across the city.

The anchor on local broadcaster WVLT8 appeared to mix up the school shooting that left one dead and an officer injured with a drive-by shooting a mile down the road.

“Oh this is live, so they are still, um, this … ahh, gotcha, ok. It’s, I forgot about the other shooting, so this is actually live, this is not our taped footage from Austin-East high school earlier,” she said.

“The Knox County Sheriff's office has got their helicopter back in the air because again we do have that other shooting investigation now underway about a mile away from the high school.”

The aftermath of the drive-by on Truslow was captured by another WVLT reporter, Zack Rickens, who posted a video of a white Ford Ranger being towed away with windows shattered by the shooting.

Officers were still searching for a suspect in that East Knoxville shooting, according to WVLT.

"The United States of America in one 22-second clip," said Slade Sohmer, editor in chief of The Recount, which first posted the viral video.

"Just insane," said Twitter user Natalie Goldfein. "What is wrong with us?"

At the Austin-East High School shooting, one student died after a shoot out that left the school resource officer, Adam Wilson, injured with non-life-threatening injuries.

Knoxville Police Department said in a statement that Mr Wilson, a 20-year-veteran, was recovering after surgery. He was fired upon after approaching a reportedly armed suspect found inside a school restroom, according to police.

"They ordered him out, but he refused to comply. As officers entered the restroom, the subject reportedly fired shots, striking an officer. One officer returned fire," they said in a statement.

"The subject was pronounced dead at the scene and has since been identified as a student."

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