Antioch High School shooting leaves two dead, including suspect, another hurt
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Two students, including the shooter, are dead and another student is injured after shots rang out in the cafeteria of Antioch High School in Nashville at 11:09 a.m. Wednesday.
Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said police received the first call to 911 two minutes after the 17-year-old student opened fire.
The shooter killed one student, Aaron said. He then turned the gun on himself and died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The third student suffered a grazing wound, Aaron said.
The names of the students have not yet been released.
The shooting comes nearly two years after three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members were killed in a shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. The shooter was also killed by police.
This is a developing story. Follow along for updates below.
Metro Nashville police chief says investigation to continue overnight
Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake said the 17-year-old male shooter rode the bus to Antioch High School on Wednesday morning before making his way to the cafeteria, where he confronted and shot a 16-year-old Hispanic female student.
The shooter then fired several rounds before turning the gun on himself, Drake said.
The second victim, a 17-year-old male student, suffered a graze wound and was treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He has now been released, Drake said.
After the shooting, SWAT began a search of the school for any other potential victims, the chief said, noting that none were found.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and the department’s investigation into the incident is expected to continue into the early hours of the morning, Drake said.
Antioch High School student recalls hiding in classroom
Tinashae Smith’s body trembled on the bus ride away from Antioch High School.Hours earlier, Smith, a ninth-grade student at the school, was in class when she saw people running down the halls.She told her teacher, who tried to call school administration, Smith said, but no one answered. When another student checked their phone and said there was a shooting, Smith didn’t want to believe it. But then her sister, a 2021 graduate of the school, texted her and said the same thing.After an intercom announcement, her class quickly hid under their desks and blocked the door with tables, desks and chairs.“I was confused,” Smith said. “I didn’t know what to do. I was scared. Everything was just so bad.”At about 2 p.m., she met her sister at the reunification site.“I would never want to experience this ever again in my lifetime,” Smith said.
Metro Schools provide transportation updates
Metro Schools provided an update regarding transportation on Wednesday.
Beginning at 2:15 p.m., regular bus routes will begin leaving the reunification site, at 3754 Murfreesboro Pike. Students who normally take the bus to school will be delivered home on their regular routes, if they haven’t already been picked up, Metro Schools said.
Students who drove to school will be taken back to Antioch High School to pick up their cars once police have cleared the parking lot.
Students who walk to school will be taken by Metro Schools transportation back home if their parents don’t pick them up. Students who are car riders may be picked up at the reunification site.
Former Antioch High School student ‘not surprised’ by shooting
Nadia Marquez was an Antioch High School freshman five years ago. When she heard about the Wednesday shooting, she said she was in shock because her boyfriend’s sister goes to the school, and she was the only one available to pick the 16-year-old up.
Once she found out Madeline Perez was safe, her shock wore off, and she said she was not surprised there was a shooting at her former school.
“There were always threats,” Marquez said. “I was just hoping she was OK, and everyone else was OK.”
Marquez was relieved to know that Madeline was safe, but she knew difficult times were ahead, she said.
“It’s going to feel great,” Marquez said, looking forward to when she could see Madeline’s face again. “Some kids are probably shocked or afraid. It’s traumatizing going through that.”
‘We’re scared and confused’: Antioch High School student on witnessing Nashville shooting
Federal officials react to Antioch High School shooting
Republicans in Tennessee’s federal delegation shared their concern for victims and prayers for those involved, but none indicated need for policy changes.
“My team and I are closely monitoring the shooting that occurred this afternoon at Antioch High School,” U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, in whose district the shooting occurred. “Please join me in lifting up in prayer those who were injured, their families, and the entire Antioch High School community.”
U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty said he was “heartbroken” to hear news of the shooting. He and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn both said they are monitoring the situation closely and praying for families involved and first responders. U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais also shared prayers and encouraged people to avoid the area to allow for emergency staff to work.
Gov. Bill Lee: ‘Praying for the victims, their family & the school community’
Gov. Bill Lee made a brief statement about the shooting at 1:04 p.m., offering prayers for the victims and school community.
“I’ve been briefed on the incident at Antioch High School and am grateful for law enforcement & first responders who responded quickly and continue to investigate,” Lee said. “As we await more information, I join Tennesseans in praying for the victims, their families & the school community.”
Antioch High School grandparent awaits reunification with student
Tiffany Brooks said her heart dropped, asking her son if her granddaughter Ki’Mani Brooks had gotten on the bus to join them at the reunification site at Ascension Medical Group, 3754 Murfreesboro Pike.
“I got a call from my granddaughter because I live so close to the school,” she said, noting that the girl was safe, but she said she could hear shots coming from the cafeteria.
Brooks said she wanted to come get her, but a lockdown was put in place, so all she could do was wait, pacing the sidewalk until her reunification call came.
Officers enter Antioch High School following shooting
Officers armed with rifles and tactical gear spread out on the school grounds at 1 p.m. They busted into an outlying shed and climbed the bleachers to the press box, seemingly to search them. Small booms could be heard echoing around the high school and grounds as they worked the property.
State lawmaker urges legislative changes to prevent gun violence
Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said the state “clearly should start doing the work needed to keep kids safe.”
“Tragic news in Antioch today,” Yarbro wrote in a social media post. “High school kids really ought to be able to go to the cafeteria without fear of being shot.”
Antioch High shooter was 17-year-old student
Metro Nashville Police Spokesman Don Aaron said a 17-year-old student opened fire in the cafeteria of Antioch High School with a pistol at about 11:09 a.m. Two minutes later police received the first call to 911.
The shooter killed one student, Aaron said. He then turned the gun on himself and died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The third student suffered a grazing wound, Aaron said.
The two shooting victims, including the student who was killed, were female. The shooter, who fatally shot himself, was male. There were two school resource officers in the building, but not in the cafeteria. Neither could intervene before the shooter turned the gun on himself, Aaron said.
The names of the students have not yet been released.
Antioch High School shooting leaves two person dead, one injured
Two people are dead, according to police, and a third person is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Hospital.
Parents anxiously await reunification with students
Traffic was backed up on Murfreesboro Pike as far as the eye could see from the Mapco at the street’s intersection with Hobson Pike just before 1 p.m.. More than 100 parents were grouped anxiously at the hospital across the street, where they were waiting for students to be dropped off in school buses.
Sen. Charlane Oliver: ‘My heart is broken’
Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, who represents the community in which Antioch High School is located, issued a statement on Wednesday following the shooting.
“My heart is broken over the devastating shooting at Antioch High School today. As a mother and a representative of this community, I grieve with the families, students, and staff who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to the victims who were shot, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. No child should ever feel unsafe in their school, and no family should face the anguish of such a senseless loss,” said Oliver in an emailed statement.
“I am in contact with local officials, law enforcement, and school leadership to offer my full support and ensure our community has the resources needed to heal. My senate office stands ready to assist families, students, and educators with navigating this crisis and will do everything in my power to push for meaningful legislative changes to prevent senseless acts of gun violence.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell: ‘This is a heartbreaking moment’
Mayor Freddie O’Connell posted about the shooting on his Bluesky page at 12:47 p.m., noting that the incident is still under investigation and sharing the location of the reunification site on 3754 Murfreesboro Pike.
“This is a heartbreaking moment for the families, the school and the city,” O’Connell said.
Voices for a Safer Tennessee ‘devastated’ to learn about Antioch High School shooting
Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonprofit formed in the wake of the Covenant School Shooting in 2023, released a statement on Thursday:
“Voices for a Safer Tennessee is devastated to learn about the shooting inside the Antioch High School cafeteria today,” part of the statement read. “Our hearts break for the students, families and staff impacted by this tragedy. Schools should be safe spaces where children can learn and grow without fear of violence. We also stand alongside the families of victims and survivors of mass shootings who are continually retraumatized when news of yet another shooting breaks.”
Students arrive at reunification site
The first schools bus of students arrived at the reunification site shortly before 12:40 p.m.
Minutes later another round of students were led out of Antioch High School and shuffled onto a school bus waiting to take them to the reunification site.
Antioch High School parent: ‘It was terrifying’
Chante Frye’s daughter, a ninth grader, was in a classroom when she heard gunshots.She texted her mom that the school was on lockdown. It was terrifying, Frye said.“But it’s almost not surprising because it’s getting worse with the fights and the violence at school,” Frye said, standing across from the Ascension Saint Thomas Antioch hospital where reunification with students was about to occur.
How parents can connect with students
According to Metro Schools, parents can connect with their students by call the reunification number at 615-401-1712.
Metro Police direct parents to reunification site
Two Metro Nashville Police officers stood guard at the Pin Hook Road entrance to Antioch High School Wednesday afternoon.Drivers slowed, begging the men to let them pick up their children. Armed with a notepad, one officer relayed the same information over and over again.“Please go to Murfreesboro Pike to pick up your child,” he said.Each driver appeared to steel themselves as they drove away resigned.A fleet of school busses rounded the corner, prepared to take students to the reunification site.
Reunification site for Antioch High School parents established
Buses are taking Antioch High School students to a reunification site at 3754 Murfreesboro Pike, according to police. The exit leading to Old Hickory Boulevard off Interstate 24 was backed up around noon as multiple police and emergency vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the shooting.
MNPS: ‘Antioch High School on lockdown due to shots fired’
“Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building,” Metro Nashville Public High School spokesperson Sean Braisted said in an emailed statement. “Metro Police are on the scene. The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available.”
Rep. John Ray Clemmons: ‘Unspeakable tragedy’
Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons, who represents House District 55 where Antioch High School is located, released a statement shortly after noon Thursday
“Again, our community has suffered an unspeakable tragedy in a school that has detrimentally impacted innocent children and families,” Clemmons said in the emailed statement. “We are continuing to monitor this situation with the Mayor’s office, MNPD and MNPS, and we will provide more information as we receive it. In the meantime, we will be praying for the children reportedly injured and all the students of Antioch High School whose lives have been forever altered today. Our efforts will not stop at thoughts and prayers — we will continue to fight for common sense gun safety solutions that protect our children and communities from gun violence.”
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Antioch High School shooting updates: Two dead at Nashville school
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