BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An armed man was fatally shot by deputies Monday at an east Tennessee high school after he went inside and pointed a gun at the principal’s head, a sheriff said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he went there to kill someone today,” Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson said at a Monday afternoon news conference hours after the gunfire at Sullivan Central High School. “I don’t know who, and I don’t know why.”
WJHL-TV reported that Anderson said a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will likely determine the motive.
No students or teachers were hurt and school was dismissed at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
Anderson said Thomas Richard Cowan, 62, of Kingsport confronted a security officer Monday morning after entering the school about 9 a.m.
Cowan entered the school with a .380-caliber semiautomatic and a .25-caliber handgun in his back pocket, Anderson said. The sheriff said that after Cowan grabbed the principal, Melanie Riden, and pointed the semiautomatic at her head, student resource officer Carolyn Gudger pulled her gun on Cowan and moved the principal to safety.
Anderson said Gudger moved Cowan down the hall and away from the cafeteria to a science pod. When Sullivan County deputies arrived, they ordered the gunman to drop his weapon, and he allegedly pointed it in their direction. He then pointed it back toward the school resource officer, prompting deputies to fire, Anderson said.
Blountville is near the Virginia line, about 250 miles east of Nashville.
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Information from: WJHL-TV, http://www.wjhl.com/
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asmith
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 11:56pmI guess he didn’t like the lunch menu. in all seriousness i have to say, schools are so dangerous, it’s almost like they have at target on the roof with a sign that says INNOCENT VICTIMS INSIDE. I will never send any of my children to public school never! How’s that gun free zone workin for ya? should be called the innocent youth free zone as well as the knowledge free zone but that is another matter entirely.
Report Post »ostewart
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 10:43amThis story reminds me of the Rubio’s Mexican Bar & Grill anti gun policy, everyone will become victums if they don’t protect them selves. I refuse to become a victum.
Report Post »tn_smartgirl
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 8:12amThis school is about 10 miles from my home. Officer Gudger is a true hero! It was reported earlier today that the shooter had entered a Police station in the area several years ago and threatened officers with a firearm. Not sure of his story, but obviously a disturbed individual.
Report Post »Johnny Alamo
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 5:49amGood news! I’m sure a “resource officer” is actually a cop. But all the same, once we put arms in the hands of responsible people in schools, (cops, principles etc.) and they take out the trash a few times. These school shootings will stop. The biggest cause of school shootings is making them “gun free zones”.
Report Post »rhet 2
Posted on September 1, 2010 at 9:32pmGee, as a teacher, thanks.
Like I can see myself walking into a classroom, putting my books and papers on the desk — right beside my mossberg shotgun and pistol.
And then we just get on with lessons without me even once thinking about those weapons, what and when I might be required to actually use one of them, or which student might suddenly “pop a cork” and use one him/herself — on me or one of the other students.
PLEASE
Can we leave law and order to the professionals in law and order — and leave us teacher types to our own profession, getting kids to learn something besides popping their chewing gum, making weird jokes about weird stuff, and getting each other pregnant and infected with SDTs?
Report Post »Main Man Madison
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 9:52pmAs I teacher, I wonder why I am reduced to second class status. I am close to our two school security officers, but let’s be honest here. If a situation were to arise where they are needed, I am considered expendable… as are my students.
If the situation is bad enough to warrant two armed officers in the building at all times, what makes them any more qualified than me? I have taken the police officer firearms training, as well as target identification. I am a legal gun owner and that fact changes nothing about my personality. Does it disqualify me from teaching? Obviously not. Why then, despite having passed the SAME qualifications as the armed officers in the building, am I not trusted with the same tools?
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on September 11, 2010 at 7:03amIf you are the type that would leave a loaded firearm on your desk and then turn your back on a classroom of people to write on the blackboard then not only should you NEVER have any type of weapon but because of your complete lack of common sense I have allot of doubt if you should be a teacher. Do not judge everyone by your own inadequacies. What a juvenile argument. “I shouldn’t have a gun because I am a loser therefore no one should have a gun”.
Report Post »Rosey
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 1:02amHmm, think this guy thought maybe this was a gun free zone so he could get away w/it. Story is not very well written and left me a bit confused. The safty resource officer had a gun too? Was it issued by the school or does Tenn. have sane conceal carry laws for teachers? Either way, glad everyone (execpt the bad guy) is ok!
Report Post »thefiremanjoe
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 4:11amThe resource officer if a police officer, so the gun would have been issued by the police dept.
Report Post »WIDE SPREAD PANIC
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 12:48amJust another brick in the wall……
Report Post »TruthSeeker
Posted on August 31, 2010 at 12:28amAfter watching Glenn Beck and O’Reilly and then Glenn Beck again, I thought I’d get to bed early for once…but had to pass the computer on the way to bed and thought I‘d check Glenn’s website one more time just to see if there was anything new, although I wasn’t really expecting anything. Look what I found! I love this! So glad I’m retired so I have time to read, learn and help sound the alarm.