16-year-old girl fatally shot dead by student in Tennessee high school cafeteria

A tragic school shooting in Tennessee has left a 16-year-old girl dead and a male student injured, with the armed suspect taking his own life, according to police.

Authorities reported that the shooter, 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, fatally shot Josselin Escalante in the cafeteria of Antioch High School following an argument. Henderson then turned the gun on himself.

A third student, an unnamed male, sustained a minor arm injury described as a “graze wound” and was treated and released.

The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed the incident is under investigation, with the first emergency call received at 11:11 AM local time (17:11 GMT) on Wednesday.

Footage from local TV showed tearful parents reuniting with their children at a designated site away from the school.

This marks the first school shooting in the U.S. this year, as recorded by Education Week, and the first during the new Trump administration.

The White House said in a statement: “As details unfold, the White House offers its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to those impacted by this senseless tragedy.”