A Tennessee student has opened fire inside his school cafeteria killing one girl and injuring another before turning the gun on himself.
A survivor recalled how the hoodie-clad ‘monster’ rampaged through Antioch High School at around 11am on Wednesday.
A female student was killed and another injured before the 17-year-old male shooter fatally shot himself.
The student who was hurt was quickly taken to Vanderbilt University Hospital after being grazed by a bullet on her arm. Thankfully, her condition is now stable, although no further details about her have been disclosed.
Police said a fourth boy was being treated for an injury to the face caused during the commotion, but they were not shot, Channel 5 reports.
‘There was a lot of screaming, a lot of terror,’ a 12th grade survivor named Ahmadsallah told WZTV.
‘People were scared to die, there was running not like regular running, like someone was chasing them, like he was a monster just killing people.’
Terrifying footage showed the shooting unfold inside the cafeteria, with gunshots and screams echoing through the lunch room.
An unidentified cameraman can be seen edging closer to the scene of the shooting then saying: ‘Oh, he shot himself.’
The edge of what appears to be a person lying down on the tiled floor is visible for a moment before the clip ends.
‘Antioch High School is currently under lockdown following gunfire inside the school premises. Our local Metro Police are present at the scene,’ a statement from Metro Nashville Public Schools confirmed.
‘The individual who caused the shooting is no longer a danger. We are coordinating the assembly of students in the auditorium and will offer guidance on the reunion process shortly.
‘This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available.’
A student in the cafeteria at the time of the incident described the terrifying scene.
‘People in the cafeteria they use chip bags to make it sound like a gun, but it was repeatedly going off and I turned around and I saw the shooter shooting people I knew,’ 12th grade student Ahmadsallah told WZTV.
‘The shooter was kind of covered, he had a hoodie on. It was just a rush, it made me want to do something crazy I was trying to run out there and help people, but my mind was so cluttered, I didn’t know what to do.
‘There was a lot of screaming, a lot of terror. People were scared to die, there was running like someone was chasing them, like he was a monster just killing people.
‘I feel relieved and safe but I feel bad for the victims who lost their lives,’ he added.
Chante Frye, whose daughter is in ninth grade at the school, says she got a text from the youngster to say she’d been locked down inside her classroom.
‘But it’s almost not surprising because it’s getting worse with the fights and the violence at school,’ Frye told The Tennessean.
Local lawmaker John Ray Clemmons, whose district includes the school, called the shooting an ‘unspeakable tragedy.’
The Metro Nashville Police Department said that the incident is under investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said it is also investigating.
Antioch High School caters to around 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve.
Buses will be transporting students to 3754 Murfreesboro Pk where their parents have been instructed to meet them.
Parents needing information regarding reunification can call 615-401-1712.
Students told local media that the school used to have metal detectors but these were no longer present.
In October last year, a student was charged after bringing a loaded gun to the school.
