Austin-East Magnet School Shooting: Police Responding to Reports of 'Multiple Gunshot Victims'
Knoxville, Tennessee, police officers are responding to an Austin-East Magnet High School shooting after it was reported that "multiple" people had been wounded.
The Knoxville Police Department confirmed on Twitter that it received reports there were multiple gunshot victims at the school. One of those victims is a police officer, and an investigation is ongoing. For the time being, the police department is asking that people avoid the area.
Newsweek reached out to the Knoxville Police Department for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Officials set up a reunification site at the baseball field behind the school, the police department said in a subsequent tweet. Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas tweeted that information was being gathered about the "tragic situation," adding that the school was secured and that students who weren't involved in the incident were released to their families.
As the shooting unfolded, Governor Bill Lee was making an announcement about in-person learning. He said he was "just informed" about the shooting and acknowledged it was an active situation.
"[I] ask for you all to pray for that situation and for the families and the victims that might be affected by that in our state," he said.
A week before the shooting, Lee signed a bill making Tennessee the 19th state to allow permitless gun carry. The law takes effect July 1 and allows people who are over 21 to carry a handgun openly or concealed without a special permit.
The National Rifle Association backed the legislation, but it came under scrutiny from some Democrats and gun control advocates for going beyond Second Amendment rights and putting people at risk.
In the wake of the shooting, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, a gun reform advocacy organization, criticized Lee for signing the bill. She said the legislation is why American has a gun homicide rate that's 25 times higher than any other high-income country.
In February, the school lost three students to gun violence, although, none of the shootings occurred on school property. Two students were 15, and one was 16.
Two teenage boys, aged 14 and 16, were charged in the fatal shooting of Stanley Freeman Jr., 16, who was shot while driving home from work. Both boys also face attempted murder charges in two other, nonfatal shootings.
"There's no joy today," Knoxville Police Chief Eve Thomas said in a press conference at the time. "These are children who have been forever changed. Luckily, we're able to give the family of Stanley Freeman Jr. some closure, some justice. But we have a serious problem in Knoxville, and we need to work together to stop this."
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
