KPD identifies 15-year-old girl killed in East Knoxville shooting

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A girl was shot and killed near Cherry Street and Selma Avenue, the Knoxville Police Department announced.

Knoxville Police identified the victim as a 15-year-old female student at Austin-East Magnet High School student. The teen’s name is not being released at this time.

The shooting occurred Tuesday night around 7:40 p.m. Officers said they arrived and found the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound near a home in the 2500 block of Selma Avenue. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Officials said the death of the teenage girl marks the second shooting death of Austin-East students this week. On Feb. 12, a 16-year-old Austin-East student was fatally shot as he was driving home from school. KPD officials have asked for the public’s help as they continue to investigate and name suspects.

Police have not said if there is any relation between the two shooting deaths.

Police said there was no suspect information in the shooting death of the teenage girl and the investigation is ongoing.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon released a statement on the incident, saying, “Another teenage life has been cut short by gun violence in our City. My heart is breaking for this young lady and her family as they deal with this devastating loss. Gun violence in our streets has reached a crisis point and it must be stopped.”

She said that city leaders would be coming together Wednesday morning at Paul Hogue Park to discuss the case and steps forward.

It’s the latest shooting in a rash of recent violent incidents in the Knoxville area, including a shooting that left a 16-year-old boy dead last week.

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