Police have shared few details about what happened when police entered the bathroom, and one key part of the story already has changed. After initial reports to the contrary, police now say it wasn t a bullet from Thompson s gun that hit a Knoxville police officer.
Without telling the community the circumstances around how the teen was killed, rumors have filled the void.
Four days after the shooting, here is what we know.
The student has been identified
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified Anthony J. Thompson Jr., 17, as the student who was shot and killed by police Monday at Austin-East Magnet High School.
The four KPD officers are all on temporary administrative leave. Author: Katie Inman Updated: 6:21 PM EDT April 16, 2021
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The Knoxville Police Department released the names of the four officers involved in Monday s shooting inside Austin-East Magnet High School.
10News obtained each of the officers personnel files on Friday through an open records request.
Here is what we know so far about Officer Adam Willson, Lieutenant Stanley Cash, Officer Jonathon Clabough and Officer Brian Baldwin.
Officer Adam Willson
Officer Adam Willson, who was wounded in the shooting, has been with KPD since January 2001 and was currently serving as the School Resource Officer at Austin-East Magnet High School.
Tennessee Student Killed by Police Did Not Fire Bullet That Hit Officer, Officials Say
Anthony J. Thompson Jr., 17, a student at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, Tenn., was fatally shot during a struggle, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
Felicia Outsey, right, led a group in prayer in front of Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, Tenn., on Tuesday.Credit.Brianna Paciorka/Knoxville News Sentinel, via Associated Press
April 14, 2021
A student who was fatally shot during a confrontation with the police on Monday at a Knoxville, Tenn., high school did not fire the bullet that struck an officer who was wounded, the authorities said on Wednesday.
The TBI identified the victim of Monday s shooting at Austin East as Anthony Thompson Jr. Author: Cole Sullivan Updated: 10:57 PM EDT April 14, 2021
A statement Wednesday afternoon from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shed some light on the police shooting that left an Austin East High School student dead, but there are still more unanswered questions.
The TBI said 17-year-old Anthony Thompson Jr. died in Monday s shooting, making him the fifth student from Austin East to die in gun violence so far this year.
The TBI said Thompson had a handgun when officers located him in a school restroom around 3:15 Monday afternoon. Investigators said a struggle broke out and Thompson s gun fired first.
TBI Director David Rausch said Monday that a preliminary investigation showed police responded to a report of a possible gunman about 15 minutes before 3:30 p.m. dismissal at the east Knoxville school. Police found the teen, since identified as Thompson, in a bathroom, the TBI said.
Police ordered the student, who is Black, to leave the bathroom but he would not comply, Rausch said.
“As officers entered the restroom, the subject reportedly fired shots, striking an officer,” said a TBI statement about the shooting released Monday.
Police fired twice, and Thompson was shot and killed, the TBI said.
On Wednesday, the TBI revised its account in a second statement on the shooting, saying the student’s gun was fired during a struggle with an officer.