Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville Police are investigating a shooting at Ridgebrook Apartments in the Mechanicsville area.
Officers arrested 39 year-old Jacob Brown who reportedly fired a round at three people Monday night following an argument near the front entrance.
Officers confronted Brown who went into an apartment and jumped out of a second-floor window. He was found a short time later and officers recovered the firearm he used.
Brown has an extensive criminal history and a previous felony conviction from a 2003 theft.
He was charged with aggravated assault and felon in possession of a weapon.
According to KPD, the arrest happened Monday night outside of Ridgebrook Apartments.(Frankly Media)
Knoxville Area Transit is making some big changes to its bus routes.
You’ll see those take effect next month. KAT wants you to be able to take a look and see how the changes could affect you.
You can go to https://katbus.com/ to download their app to view KAT Reimagined Bus network preview.
KAT is planning to hold various events highlighting these changes. Leaders say they want to make things as smooth as possible for passengers so the new routes, which start on August 26th, will be free to ride for the first two weeks while riders get used to the new routes.
KAT buses suspend operations due to dangerous road conditions (Courtesy: WVLT)
A third oversized load will be on the move in East Tennessee this week.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation says there will be rolling roadblocks for the oversized load tomorrow (Wednesday) as it works its way from Knoxville to Kingsport.
They will be on I-40 East at Exit 398 (Strawberry Plains) from midnight-3 a.m., I-81 North at Exit 23 (Mosheim) from 3-6 a.m. and I-81 North at Exit 59 (Kingsport) from 6-9 a.m.
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) is rescinding disciplinary action against Clinton High School.
The school reported that one of their players wasn’t eligible to play but it turns out he was eligible, so the school does not have to forfeit their wins for the 2023 season and they don’t have to pay the almost $12,000 they were ordered to pay for the violation.
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) is rescinding disciplinary action against Clinton High School.
The school reported that one of their players wasn’t eligible to play but it turns out he was eligible, so the school does not have to forfeit their wins for the 2023 season and they don’t have to pay the almost $12,000 they were ordered to pay for the violation.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) An extension cord is reportedly to blame for a house fire Monday morning in East Knox County.
Rural Metro firefighters responding to the scene in the 3800 block of Strong Road around 8:20 a.m. reported seeing smoke coming from the home.
Rural Metro officials say firefighters quickly extinguished a fire found venting through a crawl space. They say the room in which the fire started suffered significant damage while the remainder of the house suffered smoke and heat damage.
Fire officials say an extension cord was noted as the possible source of the fire and that no one was home at the time of the incident.
Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) Firefighters in Pigeon Forge are grieving the loss of one of their own on Sunday.
Officials with the Pigeon Forge Fire Department say firefighter 20-year-old Aaron Huss died Sunday night, July 14 in a motorcycle crash on I-40 in Knox County.
The department, along with troopers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, escorted Huss Monday from the Knox County medical examiner’s office to a funeral home.
A Pigeon Forge firefighter died in a motorcycle crash Sunday night, according to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. (Courtesy: Kyle Grainger, WVLT)
It’s no secret that 11-time Billboard Music Award-winner Morgan Wallen has remained loyal to his Tennessee roots throughout his career. Growing up in Sneedville, Tennessee, before moving to Knoxville as a teenager, Wallen’s affinity for the University of Tennessee Vols has inspired hits such as “Tennessee Fan” and “Had Me By Halftime,” while he continues to cheer on his favorite team between tour stops.
Now Wallen, celebrated by Philadelphia Inquirer as a “savvy showman,” is bookending his Pollstar and Billboard-awarded Country Tour of the Year, One Night At A Time, with a show he’s always wanted to headline: Neyland Stadium. Produced by Live Nation, on Sunday, Sept. 22, Wallen will be joined by special guests HARDY and fellow Tennessee-native ERNEST with tickets going on-sale at 11 AM EST this Wednesday, July 17. Available at MorganWallen.com.
“I’ve had the honor of playing in a lot of college, MLB and NFL stadiums the past two years, but getting to play to my hometown at Neyland Stadium, nothing tops this for a boy from East Tennessee,” shares Wallen, who reactivated his Instagram this morning to share the news.
Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, guided backstage tour, group photo on the stage, invitation to the Morgan Wallen VIP Lounge, VIP-exclusive gift item and more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
Wallen recently returned stateside following his BST Hyde Park London headlining debut alongside openers Riley Green, ERNEST, Ella Langley, Alana Springsteen, Zandi Holup and more. Becoming the largest country concert ever held in the U.K. with over 50,000 attendees, Wallen’s performance left The Times noting “America’s biggest country star charms Hyde Park” as Billboard added Wallen established himself “as a key figure in heightening country music’s global reach.”
While in the U.K., Wallen also released fan-favorite “Lies Lies Lies” after originally recording it at London’s Abbey Road Studios for his digital series Abbey Road Sessions on Dec. 5, 2023. With Music Row critic Robert Oermann declaring it a “lovelorn lament,” Billboard opined “the angst-fueled ballad offers a vessel for the soulful nuances in Wallen’s Tennessee twang.”
With a portion of every ticket purchased to his live shows benefiting The Morgan Wallen Foundation (MWF), the nonprofit recently donated $100,000 to the community of Jefferson City to improve and renovate two local baseball fields. With $80,000 going toward Roy Harmon Field via the City Parks Department and $20,000 toward New Market Field via Jefferson City Little League, the renovations include new infields, bases, dug outs, press boxes, backstop padding, fencing and more. Read more HERE.
With just ten dates remaining on One Night At A Time in the U.S., Wallen will kick-off his first-ever European tour on Aug. 28 in Stockholm, Sweden. The seven show run will include additional stops in Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Glasgow, U.K. and more before concluding with two back-to-back nights in Dublin, Ireland.
Morgan Wallen One Night At A Time 2024 Remaining U.S. Tour Dates: Thurs, July 25 // Arlington, TX // AT&T Stadium* ~ @ = Fri, July 26 // Arlington, TX // AT&T Stadium* # @ = Thurs, Aug 1 // Kansas City, MO // GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium* ? @ < Fri, Aug 2 // Kansas City, MO // GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium* % @ < Thurs, Aug 8 // Las Vegas, NV // Allegiant Stadium* ~ @ < Fri, Aug 9 // Las Vegas, NV // Allegiant Stadium* % @ < Sun, Sept 22 // Knoxville, TN // Neyland Stadium * & $ Sat, Oct 5 // Tampa, FL // Raymond James Stadium* TBD Thurs, Oct 18 // Charlotte, NC // Bank of America Stadium* TBD Fri, Oct 19 // Charlotte, NC // Bank of America Stadium* TBD
Former President Trump is now breaking his silence on the assassination attempt against him during a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post. “I’m supposed to be dead.”
“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump also told the newspaper onboard his private plane while heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for this week’s Republican National Convention. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”
Trump told the Post that had he not turned his head slightly to the right to read a chart on illegal immigration, the bullet that grazed him would have been fatal.
He described the Secret Service agents that rushed at him like “linebackers,” mentioning another one eliminated the gunman with “one shot right between the eyes.”
“They did a fantastic job,” he told the Post. “It’s surreal for all of us.”
As Secret Service agents rushed Trump off the stage, he was heard saying he wanted to get his shoes.
“The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” he explained to the Post.
Trump, reacting to images of him raising his fist and being surrounded by Secret Service agents in the seconds following the shooting, said, “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen.”
“They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture,” he added. “I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot.”
Trump also told the New York Post that he appreciated the “fine” and “very nice” call he received from President Biden in the aftermath of the event, noting – without specifics – that the race between them could be more civil going forward.
He praised his rally audience for staying calm during the entire incident.
“A lot of places … you hear a single shot, everybody runs. Here there were many shots and they stayed,” Trump said. “I love them. They are such great people.”
The Republican National Convention starts today (Monday) and former president Donald Trump is undeterred from speaking at the event despite the recent attempt on his life. The R-N-C will last four days and former president Trump is expected to announce his running mate choice.
More about man who died protecting his family at the rally. BETHEL PARK, Penn. – EXCLUSIVE: The volunteer firefighter who died shielding his family from a sniper’s bullets intended for former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania is being remembered as a selfless “girl dad” and churchgoing family man who put others before himself on a regular basis.
Corey Comperatore, 50, died Saturday night while shielding his wife and family from gunfire after a 20-year-old man snuck onto a roof and started shooting at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“It’s just so typical of him, the way it all happened, with protecting his wife and his daughter and just throwing himself on top of them when they hear the shooting,” said Eileen Shamanski, whose children grew up playing soccer alongside Comperatore’s daughters.
“He was an all around good guy that was always there to lend a hand and support not just his own children but all the other kids who were friends of their girls and on the team,” she told Fox News Digital. “He had a just give it your all attitude, [and] a lot of kids respected him for that, just always being there supporting, giving those pep talks to get them going. It’s going to be a big loss.”
Their families have been close for years due to their girls’ common interest in travel soccer, she said. And although Comperatore worked long hours and volunteered to battle flames in his downtime, he never missed a game or a practice, she said.
“We didn’t think it was true at first, when my daughters called me crying,” she said. “Then we saw his wife and daughter on the news, when they were tending to him – it was just a sad thing to see, so sad, but I know he would’ve done it again in a heartbeat if it came down to it.”
“It makes a difference when you’re there in the stands to cheer them on,” she said. “The girls, you could see it in their faces, they just opened up with him, and he would travel for away tournaments. Him and his wife were always there, always being there to support them.”
Secret Service agents shot and killed the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, within moments of his first shot. But not before he killed Comperatore and wounded two more bystanders, according to authorities.
Trump himself said a bullet tore through part of his right ear and was pictured with blood on the side of his head as agents led him offstage. Before he got into his motorcade, he raised a fist, prompting cheers from the crowd.
“Corey died a hero,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told reporters on Saturday, after speaking with Comperatore’s wife Helen. “Corey dove on his family to protect them.”
In a post from one of his daughter’s Allyson, that was no longer public Sunday, she remembered him as “the best dad a girl could ask for.”
“The media will not tell you that he died a real-life super hero,” she continued. “They are not going to tell you how quickly he threw my mom and I to the ground. They are not going to tell you that he shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.” Comperatore was an engineer and a volunteer firefighter. He attended church every Sunday and by many accounts would help out anyone in a heartbeat.
More about the suspected shooter:
The FBI has taken on the role of lead investigator into the shooting. Authorities said Sunday they had no known motive, Crooks had no criminal record or documented history of mental illness.
But authorities said they did found bomb-making materials in his vehicle, and that they were focused on retrieving data from his phone records.
Bethel Park School District can confirm that the shooter in the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump is a graduate of Bethel Park High School. Thomas Matthew Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School with the Class of 2022. (Bethel Park School District)
“What we witnessed yesterday was nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters on a conference call Sunday. “An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country.”
An aerial view shows vehicles of law enforcement members who work at the home of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, named by the FBI as the shooter in the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 14, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
The attack prompted widespread condemnation from leaders around the world, across political lines.
An investigation is underway in Jefferson County following a tragic early morning (Monday) fire.
Crews called to Lick Skillet Farm, a venue establishment, just after 4 a.m.
Officials say several agencies from other counties helped battle this blaze and some animals died in the fire and some equipment has been destroyed.
Captain Sammy Soloman with the New Market Volunteer Fire Department tells our news partner WVLT the farm owner and several employees saved some animals in the barn before fire crews arrived.
