One dead, officer injured in Knoxville school shooting: Police

A shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School in Tennessee left one person dead and an officer wounded, Knoxville Police Department confirmed on Monday.

Only a male was deceased, however, another person was detained for further investigation.

The police officers were responding to a report of a possible armed male subject, the authorities said in a Facebook post.

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“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.”

In an initial statement on social media, police said, “There are multiple gunshot victims reported including one KPD officers. The investigation remains active at this time.”

A reunification site is set up at the baseball field behind the school, the police informed.

Meanwhile, the police urged people to avoid the area.

Bob Thomas, the superintendent of Knox County Schools, confirmed the incident over a tweet on Monday.

“The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families,” he said.

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He added that the authorities were gathering information and about the “tragic situation” and will provide additional information later.

The tragic incident transpired following the signing of legislation by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee that will soon allow adults 21 and older to carry handguns without clearing a prior background check and training.

Talking about the incident at Austin-East Magnet High School in a news conference later on Monday, Lee said, “I just wanted to make reference to that and ask, for those who are watching, online or otherwise, to pray for that situation and for the families and the victims that might be affected by that in our state.”