Four Knoxville teenagers have been shot and killed in 2021.
All of them students at Austin-East Magnet High School, though officials have repeatedly said the violence is not associated with the school itself.
The community is shaken by the violence and frustrated at the response from police and elected officials. Neighbors want answers on how to resolve this citywide issue.
Here is a timeline of how the events have happened:
Jan. 27, 2021 Justin Taylor, 15
At about 9:30 p.m., Knoxville Police Department responded to a report of a shooting victim in the parking lot of Western Heights Baptist Center on Scott Avenue. Police found Justin Taylor unresponsive inside a vehicle, suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
It s not right | Two mothers who lost sons to gun violence plead for change and healing
Zaevion Dobson died in 2015 when he shielded his friends from gunfire. Justin Taylor died earlier in February, shot and killed in a car by a friend. Author: WBIR Staff, Malik Jackson Published: 6:31 PM EST February 19, 2021 Updated: 3:24 PM EST February 25, 2021
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Three teens have died in as many weeks in Knoxville due to gun violence. It has challenged city leaders to bring change and has caused untold pain for their families. It s like my heart literally being snatched out of my body, said Stephanie Taylor.
As Knoxville mourns the deaths of three teenagers, the Austin-East community has a clear message to share: the performing arts magnet high school is a safe space.
Austin-East students, faculty and supporters are frustrated the school community is being linked to the shooting deaths of three students in the past three weeks. The school itself, they say, is not the problem, it s the violence running unchecked near the building located in the 2800 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. I know that school is a safe place, said Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Kincannon is a former Knox County Schools board president.
KPD: 17-year-old charged with negligent homicide in shooting death of 15-year-old
KPD said officers found a teen shot inside of a car in the parking lot of Western Heights Baptist Center. He was taken to UT Medical, where he was pronounced dead. Author: WBIR Staff Updated: 3:12 PM EST January 28, 2021
KNOXVILLE, Tenn Knoxville police said a 17-year-old male has been charged with criminally negligent homicide in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy.
The victim was found in a vehicle in the parking lot of Western Heights Baptist Center, located at 1230 W. Scott Avenue in the Beaumont neighborhood, around 9:30 p.m on Wednesday.