A youngster fatally shot a 16-year-old classmate and wounded another Wednesday inside a Nashville high school cafeteria before killing himself, according to officials.
According to authorities, 17-year-old Solomon Henderson opened fire at Antioch High School shortly after 11 a.m. CT, using a handgun.
The 16-year-old who died was named as Josselin Corea Escalante. A 17-year-old male student sustained a graze cut to the arm and was treated and released from the hospital, according to police.
“At this point, the inquiry has not revealed a link between Henderson and the two gunshot victims. “It is possible that they were struck by his random gunfire in the cafeteria,” police stated in a statement Wednesday evening.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake previously stated that Henderson was an engaged student at the school who took the school bus in the morning before opening fire in the cafeteria.
“He entered the cafeteria firing multiple rounds, striking her… before pulling the weapon on himself,” Drake said during a news conference.
The motive is unknown, but Drake claimed authorities are investigating “some materials on the internet.”
One kid reported seeing people being shot and hiding behind garbage cans before leaving through a back door.
“I observed individuals being shot on the ground, bleeding, and such. My pals and everyone at the rear ran out the side entrance, ducking down. I tried to help these people who were falling and being pushed,” the student told NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville. “We ran out the back of the school near the football field.”
The boy stated that he felt a lot of “pain and grief” after seeing individuals “shot in front of my face.”
According to the youngster, the school conducts student searches but does not use metal detectors.
Adrienne Battle, Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, told reporters that the district has established a variety of safety measures throughout the years, including the use of a school resource officer.
“I know there are questions about whether additional steps, such as stationary metal detectors, should be considered,” she told me. “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.”
Antioch High School has two school resource officers, but they were in another area of the building when the shooting began, according to the police department. They ran to the cafeteria and arrived just after the shooter committed suicide, according to the department.
One parent described the incident as “unbelievable.”
“Every day, I tell all three of my children, ‘I love you. Have a good day. I’m sorry for anyone attempting to call their child who said ‘I love you, have a good day’ and isn’t answering the phone,” the parent told WSMV.
Students were bused to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital, where they were reunited with their families.
Authorities reported that a SWAT squad had cleared the school.
Tennessee State Troopers, state Homeland Security Special Agents, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are all assisting.
Antioch High School was on lockdown and will be closed for the remainder of the week.
Gov. Bill Lee said he was briefed on the event and thanked 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 wrote on the website X.
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