One woman was killed and four other people injured, including the suspected gunman, following what authorities are calling a "series of shootings" in Tennessee.
"We are shocked and saddened that this individual lost their life in this senseless act of violence," Jim Maxwell, Bristol Herald Courier publisher, toldWJHL of the death of Bristol newspaper carrier Jennifer Rooney. "[She] was a wonderful person. Her family is in our thoughts and prayers."
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) released a statement regarding the shooting spree early Friday, revealing it is still actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the violence. According to the TBI's report, the subject has been identified as Lakeem Keon Scott. Scott was armed with "at least two weapons," including an automatic-style rifle and a pistol at around 2:20 Thursday morning when he initiated the shootings by firing shots into a local Days Inn hotel.
At some point, TBI officials say, Scott also "indiscriminately" fired at multiple vehicles along Volunteer Parkway. He was eventually confronted by Bristol police officers, at which point gunfire was exchanged. Scott was injured and taken to a nearby hospital, where he currently remains in serious but stable condition. One of the officers, Matthew Cousins, was also treated at the same hospital for minor injuries and promptly released.
The hotel's front desk clerk, Deborah Watts, was also seriously injured during the shooting spree and remains in serious but stable condition. Another person, David Whitman Davis, sustained minor injuries at the scene of the shooting due to "flying glass." Though the investigation is ongoing, preliminary discussions with Scott have reportedly presented a possible motive for his actions.
From the TBI's initial report:
Scott may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country. Late this morning, investigators had their first opportunity to speak with Scott, and the work to develop a thorough understanding of his motivation for this incident remains central to the ongoing investigative work
The announcement comes just hours after the sniper attack on police officers and protesters in Dallas, which left 5 cops dead and multiple injured. However, despite misguided efforts by some at linking such attacks to anti-police brutality activism groups such as #BlackLivesMatter, no such correlation actually exists. "There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans," #BlackLivesMatter said in a statement on the Dallas attack. "We should reject all of this."
