NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A gunman shot and wounded three people at a Tennessee business Tuesday and was later tracked down and fatally shot by police after he refused to drop his weapon, authorities said.
The shooting happened at a Smile Direct Club manufacturing facility in Nashville. The suspect had left before officers arrived, but they spotted him at a nearby intersection carrying a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told news outlets. The suspect was fatally shot after refusing orders to drop his weapon and then directing it at officers, Aaron said.
Police said the suspect is a 22-year-old man who started working at the business in June. His motive for opening fire during a shift change was under investigation, Aaron said.
Multiple shots were fired inside the business, hitting one person in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the leg, Aaron said. Another employee was injured while running from the gunfire, he said.
It appears the gunman acted alone, police said.
Smile Direct Club said in a statement Tuesday that it was saddened by the shooting and that company officials were cooperating with police. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will handle the investigation because it involves a police shooting.
The Associated Press
