A student was killed and an officer was wounded Monday afternoon in a shooting at Austin-East High School in Knoxville.
The student who died was a male teenager, it was stated.
Reports said the officer was shot in the hip.
The TBI said, "Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 3:15 p.m., the Knoxville Police Department received a report of an individual possibly armed with a gun at Austin-East Magnet High School.
Upon arrival, officers located the individual inside a school restroom. 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. The subject was pronounced dead at the scene and has since been identified as a student. The officer who was shot was transported to a local hospital for treatment."
TBI Director David Rausch said, "We have to be careful with our language... This wasn't a school shooting. This was an officer-involved shooting inside a school."
The school was to be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
State Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said, “As details continue to emerge, our thoughts are with every member of the school community in Knoxville who is dealing with the immediate impacts of the shooting that took place this afternoon. The department stands ready to provide support. It is time to wrap arms around the affected students, educators, school staff, their families, and the entire community, to support them through this horrific tragedy.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn said, “I am heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville. My office has been briefed on the situation and I am praying for the community, including the officer injured in the line of duty.”