The 37-year-old man who opened fire at a Tennessee hotel and cars on a nearby highway, killing one person and injuring several others, is believed to have been “troubled” by the recent police shootings of black men, investigators say.
The incident began at around 2:20 a.m. ET on Thursday when a man, later identified as 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott, began shooting through the window of the Days Inn in Bristol, seriously injuring a female clerk who was working at the hotel.
Scott is then alleged to have fired indiscriminately at several vehicles that were driving on the nearby Volunteer Parkway, killing driver Deborah Watts and injuring another. When officers responded, he opened fire at the officers, injuring one officer before Scott was shot and injured by police.
In an update on Friday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said investigators had been able to speak with Scott to establish a possible motive. “Preliminarily, the investigation reveals Scott may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country,” the agency said in a statement.
Other details were not immediately provided, but the news came less than a day after a gunman opened fire at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, killing 5 police officers and injuring several others. The shooter told police he intended to kill white people, and white police officers in particular. There is no indication that the incidents are linked.
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