WHITE PINE, Tenn. — The White Pine Police Department said three are dead after a shooting Monday afternoon in White Pine.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said the shooting happened near the Pilot and Weigel's gas stations near exit 4.
White Pine Police Chief Chad Cotter said police were dispatched around 3:45 p.m. in response to calls of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found three people suffering from gunshot wounds. They died due to their injuries.
White Pine Police identified the three victims as 48-year-old Christopher Ray Welch, 16-year-old Teagan Welch, and 58-year-old Kenneth Cook.
A total of four people were involved in the incident, according to Cotter. White Pine Police said the fourth person involved was not injured.
He said the shooting appeared to be a domestic situation, not an active shooter situation. One of the four people involved was the shooter.
No one was in custody; everyone involved was accounted for, he said.
Cotter said White Pine police, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were on the scene.
White Pine Police said it is investigating what led to the shooting with the TBI. Greeneville City Schools also released a statement as they mourn the loss of Welch. It can be read in full below:
The Greeneville City School District community is mourning the loss of one of our beloved Greeneville High School students today. Teagan Welch, 11th-grade student, was loved by her classmates, her teachers, her principals, and the entire GHS staff. Teagan was a standout member of the Pride of the Greene Devils Band and a cherished member of the GHS Bowling Team. Numerous supports have been put into place for GHS students, faculty, and staff as they grieve this tremendous loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Teagan’s family and friends.