Two children were shot and a teacher injured Wednesday afternoon at Townville Elementary School and a man believed to be the alleged shooter’s father was found dead at a home nearby.
Jeffrey Osborne, 47, died from a gunshot wound, police said. The alleged shooter was home-schooled, and authorities said they didn’t yet know of any relation between the school victims and the shooter.
Deputy Chief Keith Smith said the shooter never entered the elementary school, but was on its playground when the children and teacher were attacked.
One 6-year-old was in critical condition and in surgery at Greenville Memorial Hospital, according to Scott Stoller, Anderson County’s director of emergency medical services. Another 6-year-old was discharged from AnMed Health Medical Center, where a teacher was still being treated, officials said. It was unclear whether the teacher was shot or whether she was injured some other way.
Taylor Jones, Anderson County’s emergency services director, said both children were taken away from the school in medical helicopters.
One suspect was in custody, according to Lt. Sheila Cole of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Jones said the person in custody was believed to be a teen.
The school was evacuated and will be closed for the rest of the week. A SWAT team has been through the school and has not found any other signs of danger, Jones said. Parents were picking up their children at Oakdale Baptist Church on Wednesday afternoon. Dozens of children were bused to the church, and when they got off the bus, they were walked by armed law enforcement officers over to their waiting parents.
The incident was first reported shortly before 2 p.m. ET, according to reports on social media. Witnesses on social media reported seeing dozens of emergency vehicles speeding up S.C. 24 toward the school. Units from multiple law enforcement agencies were at the scene, including the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Anderson Police Department, Anderson County Sheriff’s deputies, Oconee County Sheriff’s deputies and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Source: USA Today | Anderson (S.C.) Independent Mail
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