Austin East High School
By: Ellie Graham
TW: This article discusses gun violence. Please read with caution.
My name is Ellie Graham, and I’m a student and journalist for Stories Untold. This is my perspective as someone who is from Knoxville and as someone who unfortunately has indirectly experienced the issue of gun violence.
After initially hearing the news about the latest shooting at Austin East High School I was completely shocked, but after I read the current reports on the situation, I can say I was not surprised at all.
Photo Credits(Instagram): @knoxvillephoto
As a child that grew up just outside of Knoxville, Austin East, and most of East Knoxville, I was taught that those cities were not a “good” place to grow … however, as I get older, I realize that most of the problems that exist at Austin East and in that community as a whole, are far out from the resident’s control. To the people in my predominantly white neighborhood and high school, that part of Knoxville was the “bad part of town”, but there is a direct parallel that must be brought to light before you can accuse those parts of Knoxville for being a “bad place”. Before you can talk about the shooting that happened at Austin East or any of the shootings that happen near there for that matter, you have to address the complete over-policing and blatant racism at the hands of authorities. Most people are aware of the gang violence that occurs near the high school, and the reason so many people turn to gangs is because of a lack of resources for the people in Austin East.Prior to the shooting, instead of sending resource officers to counter gang activity at Austin East High School, the city of Knoxville infiltrated the area with police officers that refused to listen to any of the experiences from the students. This is exactly what the country saw after the real story about the shooting was released … Previously, many thought that a student had incited a shooting and had hit the officer in the process., but according to CNN, WATE news, and ABC News, a police officer shot a student in a school bathroom after finding a gun on said student.
To many members of my community, the media has been far too silent ever since it was proven that an officer was truly who fired shots first. I believe this is completely true. To make matters worse, the Knoxville Police Department has withheld bodycam footage(from the body cams that cost them five million dollars just for this specific scenario) most likely because it contains videos that they would rather the public not see.
Photo Credits(Instagram): @knoxvillephoto
And at last, to bring forth a more disappointing conclusion, it seems the students and faculty are expected to be held accountable for this issue, and not those who are truly at fault. Yes, there should be more trauma therapists willing to help Austin East, and yes, we are in need for a solution to gang violence, but I personally believe that the over-policing presence has done far too much damage to the students and teachers of this school, and the community as a whole. No student should ever be killed on school grounds, and no police officer should ever murder anyone, innocent or not. This country, in all regions, must protect the lives of every student, educator, and child.
My final hope is that all students and teachers involved, directly or indirectly, in the shootings at Austin East High School can find support; and that the Knoxville police department knows that blood is on their hands if justice isn’t properly served. The best any civilian can do is to continue to fight for police accountability and abolition. Currently, there are petitions that can be signed so that bodycam footage can be released and so that Anthony Thompson Jr. and his family can receive proper justice. For anyone living in East Tennessee, there have been a few rallies countering police violence that you can take part in. Resources are found below:
Photo Credits(Instagram): @knoxvillephoto