Smile Direct Club Facility Shooting - Suspect Killed By Police

Smile Direct Club Facility Shooting -  Suspect Killed By Police

Three people are reported to have been shot at a facility run by the direct-to-consumer orthodontics company, Smile Direct Club.

The Independent reported that a male employee entered the building in Nashville, Tennessee, early on Tuesday morning, and opened fire.

The newspaper reported a “Police spokesman said officers shot suspect after he was asked to drop his weapon but instead aimed it at law enforcement officials.”

Following the attack, a man carrying a weapon and believed to be the shooter was spotted by police close to where the incident took place.

“A male employee entered the building during a shift change and opened fire, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference,” according to USA Today

“The suspect left the building as officers responded to the attack, but he was spotted at a nearby intersection,” The Independent said.

“After telling the man to drop his weapon, police fired at the suspect. Mr Aaron said the man pointed his weapon towards the officers instead of dropping it.”

The suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, has been identified as a 22-year-old, Antonio King.

He was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre.

A police spokesman said “Two officers discharged their weapons towards Mr King. Police think the suspect was acting alone and have yet to release a possible motive behind the attack.”

“Authorities said the three people with gunshot wounds were all taken to hospital alive, but one of them was in critical condition. The injured employees have not been identified. One was shot in the leg, one in the abdomen, and a third was shot in the chest. One employee injured an ankle as they were running,” The Independent reported.

“Two of those shot were security guards employed by Allied Universal Security and the third was an employee of SmileDirectClub,” WKRN reported. 

“Smile Direct Club, which produces teeth straightening products, has been headquartered in Nashville since 2016. On-site security personnel "contained" the incident, the company said in a statement, adding it was "saddened" by the shooting,” reported Natalie Neysa Alund, for the Nashville Tennessean news outlet.

On Wednesday, Smile Direct Club released a statement, saying "As we continue to gather facts and assist police with their investigation, we can confirm that a Team Member was shot and injured when he intercepted the gunman. We are happy to report that this Team Member has been treated and released from a local hospital. Additionally, two security guards contracted through a third-party security company were shot and are currently receiving care at local hospitals."

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