A shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville on Wednesday morning left one student dead and another injured. The incident took place shortly before 11:30 a.m. in the school’s cafeteria, according to authorities.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed that a 17-year-old male student opened fire, injuring two female students before taking his own life.
One of the female victims was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the other sustained a non-life-threatening graze wound and is in stable condition. A male student also sustained a non-gunshot injury to his face, which is being treated.
Law enforcement responded quickly, with a SWAT team clearing the building and confirming that there was no ongoing threat. Police have stated that the investigation is still in its early stages, and a motive for the shooting has not been determined.
“We’re still gathering information, but we can confirm that the situation is secure,” said Don Aaron, a spokesperson for MNPD.
In response to the shooting, Nashville’s public school district set up a reunification center where parents can pick up their children. The district also established a hotline for parents seeking information. In an effort to help ensure the safety of students, buses were deployed to transport students to a designated location.
Antioch High School, which has around 2,100 students enrolled, is located in Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood, roughly 10 miles southeast of the city’s downtown.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and other local agencies are assisting in the investigation. This incident comes nearly two years after another shooting at a Nashville school, when a gunman opened fire at The Covenant School, resulting in multiple fatalities.
As of now, police have not released the names of the individuals involved. Authorities are continuing their work to gather more details on the tragic event.
“The fear reverberating around the Antioch and Nashville communities today is a chilling reminder of the human cost of political inaction and the senseless tragedy of gun violence perpetuated by leaders who have prioritized firearms and the profits of the gun industry over the life of our students,” said Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, who was expelled for violating decorum rules by participating in a gun control protest on the House floor after the March 2023 Covenant School shooting. “I warned my Republican colleagues after the Covenant School shooting that their inaction would lead to another preventable tragedy. Instead, the silenced the voices of children begging for their lives.”
“In our schools, supermarkets, movie theaters, and even churches, Americans are not free to live their lives in public without the threat of gunfire, but Republicans oppose the most commonsense solutions to gun violence,” said Lisa McCormick, a progressive critic of the Democratic establishment. “This is another area where the Biden administration wasted opportunities instead of fighting for the people. Americans deserve better than reckless Republicans and do-nothing Democrats.”
The White House issued a statement saying, “The President and his team are monitoring the news out of Nashville. As details unfold, the White House offers its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to those impacted by this senseless tragedy and thank the brave first responders responding to the incident.”