John Coffelt, Editor

14-year-old detained in shooting

A 13-year-old Manchester resident was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital Friday in Nashville Friday evening after being shot near Westwood Elementary School. 

A 14-year-old has been detained in the shooting incident that occurred  Friday, Sept. 23 on Oakdale Street near the school, Attorney General Craig Northcott said Saturday.

 The victim is reportedly in the ICU in serious but stable condition.  

Northcott said little information can be disclosed at this time, including the names of the juveniles involved in the incident, due to the age of those involved in the case and that it is an ongoing investigation. 

While the incident took place near the school, it did not occur on school grounds. 

Manchester Director of Schools Dr. Joey Vaughn said Saturday that he was informed of the incident by the Manchester Police Department shortly after it happened. The school SRO, principal and Vaughn then went to the school and reviewed security footage. 

Vaughn said that Westwood security cameras were able to capture a small portion of what happened. 

“Manchester City Schools takes school safety as a tremendous priority,” Vaughn said. “The cameras are in place, the doors are locked, windows are covered.  We will continue to work with our community, families.” 

“The district will continue to take those measures to make sure our campuses are safe,” Vaughn added. 

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.