1 student killed, another wounded in Nashville high school cafeteria shooting; shooter dead

A 16-year-old student is dead and another was hospitalized with a gunshot wound following a shooting Wednesday at a Nashville high school cafeteria.

The shooter, a 17-year-old student, fatally shot himself after firing multiple shots at Antioch High School just after 11 a.m. CT, police said at a news conference. The shooter was armed with a pistol, authorities said.

Police identified the 16-year-old who died as Josselin Corea Escalante and the 17-year-old shooter who killed himself as Solomon Henderson.

A male student, 17, suffered a graze wound to the arm and was taken to the hospital in stable condition. He has since been released. Another male student was also treated for a facial injury from a fall.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the shooter took the school bus in the morning, went to the bathroom to possibly retrieve the weapon and then “confronted” the 16-year-old female victim.

“He entered into the cafeteria firing multiple rounds, striking her … before pulling the weapon on himself,” Drake said at a news conference.

A motive is unclear, but Drake said authorities are looking into “some materials on the internet.”

One student said he saw people get shot and hid behind garbage cans before fleeing out a back door.

“I saw people getting shot, on the ground, bleeding and stuff. Me and my friends and everybody in the back, we all ran out the side door crouching down. I tried to help these people who was falling, getting pushed,” the student told NBC affiliate WSMV of Nashville. “We ran out the back of the school near the football field.”

The teen said he felt a lot of “pain and grief” because he saw people “shot in front of my face.”

According to the teen, the school searches students, but does not have metal detectors.

Adrienne Battle, Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, told reporters that over the years the district has implemented a range of safety measures including having a school resource officer.

“I know there are questions about whether additional steps, such as stationary metal detectors, should be considered,” she said. “While past research has shown they have had limitations and unintended consequences, we will continue to explore emerging technologies and strategies to strengthen school safety.”

One parent described what happened as “unbelievable.”

“I say it every day to all three of my kids, ‘I love you. Have a good day.’ I’m sad for whoever is trying to contact their child, who said ‘I love you, have a good day’ and their child is not answering the phone,” the parent told WSMV.

Students were bused to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital where they were reunited with their parents.

A SWAT team cleared the school, authorities said.

Tennessee State Troopers, state Homeland Security Special Agents and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are assisting.

Antioch High School was on lockdown and will be closed for the rest of the week.

Gov. Bill Lee said he was briefed on the incident and expressed his gratitude for law enforcement and first responders “who responded quickly and continue to investigate.”

“As we await more information, I join Tennesseans in praying for the victims, their families & the school community,” he said in a post on X.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel