AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, AUSTIN-
EAST MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL - MOVING
TO ONLINE LEARNING FOR THE
ENTIRE WEEK..
K-C-S SAYING THE DECISION WAS
MADE IN AN EFFORT TO BE
SENSITIVE TO
THE CONCERNS OF FAMILIES AND
STAFF
WHO ARE GRIEVING AFTER A STUDENT
WAS SHOT AND KILLED LAST FRIDAY
WHILE HE WAS LEAVING SCHOOL..
AUSTIN-EAST STUDENTS WILL
RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM ON
MONDAY, THE 22ND.
MEANTIME COUNSELORS WILL
BE AVAILABLE AT THE SCHOOL FOR
ANY STUDENT WHO MAY WANT OR NEED
SUPPORT..
AND AUSTIN EAST PARENTS AND
COMMUNITY LEADERS - SHARING
THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT RECENT GUN
VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.... AS
WELL AS HOW THEY'RE HELPING
THEIR CHILDREN COPE WITH THE
LOSS OF ONE OF THEIR PEERS.
W-A-T-E SIX ON YOUR SIDE
REPORTER JORDAN BROWN JOINS US
NOW WITH MORE..
JORDAN?
JORDAN:
BO, IT'S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF
DAYS FOR THE EAST KNOXVILLE
COMMUNITY.
AUSTIN EAST PARENTS ARE SHARING
HOW THEY'RE HELPING
THEIR KIDS THROUGH THIS
TRAUMATIC TIME. AND ONE LOCAL
COMMUNITY LEADERS IS CALLING FOR
PEOPLE TO BE
MORE VOCAL.
BRANDI "HE WAS 16." AFTER THE
MURDER OF AN AUSTIN EAST
STUDENT, AUSTIN EAST PARENTS ARE
FACING THE HARSH REALITY OF THE
WHAT IFS'.
BRANDI "MY BABY IS 15 YEARS OLD
AND
IF HE WASN'T VIRTUAL, WHAT WOULD
THAT HAVE LOOKED LIKE WITH
HIM COMING HOME BECAUSE WE ONLY
LIVE ABOUT A BLOCK AND A HALF
AWAY
FROM THE SCHOOL."
BREYAUNA "I DEFINITELY THINK
CLOSING SCHOOL FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THE WEEK WAS AN
APPROPRIATE ACTION. I KNOW THAT
THE STUDENTS NEED
TIME TO PROCESS IT. THE TEACHERS
NEED TIME TO PROCESS IT."
PARENTS SAY IN ORDER TO SEE
CHANGE, THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
HAS TO BE ADDRESSED. BRANDI "THE
PROBLEM IN OUR
COMMUNITY IS GUN VIOLENCE. THE
SOLUTION IS HOW WE HANDLE IT OR
WHATEVER OR I GUESS THE ANECDOTE
SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW, THE
BANDAID OVER THE BULLET
HOLE IS HOW DO WE HANDLE THIS
HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE
TRAUMA."
ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE IN EAST
KNOXVILLE IS EXACTLY WHY
LAWRENCE WILLIAMS OPENED
THE SAFE HAVEN EMPOWERMENT
HOUSE... TO KEEP PEOPLE OFF THE
STREETS AND OUT OF TROUBLE...
BUT
HE SAYS HIS EFFORTS TO MAKE HIS
COMMUNITY A SAFER PLACE CAN
ONLY GO SO FAR IF HE'S DOING IT
ALONE
LAWRENCE "THERE IS A LOT OF
BROKEN
TRUST BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE
COMMUNITY. BUT WE AS THE
COMMUNITY IN WHOLE, WE GOTTA
STEP UP. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING
SAY SOMETHING."
AS AUSTIN EAST STUDENTS PREPARE
TO RETURN TO SCHOOL ON
MONDAY, PARENTS ARE USING THIS
WEEK TO HELP THEM COPE.
BREYAUNA "WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT IT. I'M TRYING TO MAKE
SURE THEY ARE OKAY WITH GOING
BACK TO SCHOOL, BEING ON CAMPUS,
THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE
WALKING AROUND AFTER SCHOOL."
THE HEALING STARTS NOW, BUT
PARENTS KNOW IT'LL BE A LONG
ROAD. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY'RE
ASKING FOR PEACE AND PATIENCE.
"PLEASE DO NOT PLACE THE BLAME
ON THE STAFF AT AUSTIN EAST.
THEY
ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN,
CONSOLE THEM AND KEEP THEM SAFE.
JORDAN:
JUST A REMINDER... KNOX COUNTY
SCHOOLS HAS MADE COUNSELORS
AVAILABLE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR
ANY STUDENT WHO MAY WANT OR NEED
SUPPORT.
BO:
JORDAN, THANK YOU. TONIGHT
AUTHORITIES - STILL TRYING TO
FIND WHOEVER SHOT THE TEEN.
KNOXVILLE MAYOR INDYA KINCANNON
- ECHOING THE NEED FOR WITNESSES
TO STEP UP AND HELP
INVESTIGATORS:
WE HAVE A YOUNG MAN WHO KILLED
WHILE HE WAS COMING HOME FROM
SCHOOL. AND AS A PARENT MYSELF I
KNOW THAT I
WOULD BE ASKING IF MY CHILD HAD
SEEN SOMETHING. I WOULD GO WITH
HER AND SUPPORT HER AND SHARE
THAT
INFORMATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT
FEEL COMFORTABLE SHARING THAT
DIRECTLY WITH KPD TALK TO YOUR
TEACHER. TALK TO YOUR COUNSELOR.
TALK TO
YOUR PASTOR. THE INFORMATION CAN
BE SHARED
CONFIDENTIALLY. WE APPRECIATE
AND NEED THAT
INFORMATION TO PROTECT INNOCENT
LIVES AND STOP THE VIOLENCE.
BO:
KNOXVILLE POLICE SAYING
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO NEAR THE
SCENE REVEALED THERE WERE QUOTE
"NUMEROUS" PEOPLE WHO LIKELY
WITNESSED ALL OR SOME OF THE
SHOOTING ---MOST OF WHICH
APPEARING TO BE FELLOW AUSTIN
EAST STUDENTS..
AT LAST CHECK, K- P-D SAYS NO
WITNESSES HAVE COME FORWARD
WITH INFORMATION.
INVESTIGATORS ARE ASKING THAT
ANY STUDENT, PARENT, OR
COMMUNITY MEMBER WITH
INFORMATION TO CONTACT THE
KNOXVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AT
865-215-7212.
BO:
REMOTE AREA MEDICAL -
PARTNERING WITH YOUNG-WILLIAMS
TO HOLD THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF
FREE POP-UP CLINICS FOR PETS..
SATURDAY'S PET CLINIC WILL
HAPPEN