Three employees of a Knoxville truck stop were stabbed to death and a fourth person was wounded Tuesday before police shot and killed the suspect who was still wielding a knife, according to a report by WATE ABC Channel 6 News, citing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The horrific attack occurred just before 7 o’clock this morning at the Pilot Travel Center convenience store on Strawberry Plains Pike, just off Interstate 40, WATE reports.
All the victims were women.
There was also one other victim, a female customer, who survived and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
WATE identified the dead as Joyce Whaley, 57; Patricia Denise Nibbe, 51; and Nettie R. Spencer, 41. The suspect who allegedly carried out the attack was identified as Idris Abdus-Salaam, 33, a truck driver from Durham, North Carolina.
At least one of the victims was found outside the store, according to officials.
No motive was given, and police were trying to determine if the attack was random, Bureau spokesperson Leslie Earhart said during a news briefing later in the day.
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Dozens of law enforcement and emergency vehicles converged on the scene with flashing lights in the aftermath; the store was cordoned off with crime scene tape as passing traffic slowed to a crawl.
The area is bustling with multiple fast-food restaurants and hotels, and the local office of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is located minutes down the street from the store.
When Knox County Sheriff’s officials first arrived, one person was outside the store with stab wounds, WATE reports. Witnesses at the scene quickly alerted authorities to the suspect, who was now in the store parking lot still armed with a knife.
WATE reports that the suspect refused commands to drop his weapon and one of the officers opened fire, killing Abdus-Salaam.
An investigation is continuing.
Highway truck stops like Pilot are among the few “essential businesses” that remain open during the coronavirus shutdown, allowing truckers to catch up on sleep, grab snacks and coffee for the road, and fill up on gas as food and other goods continue to be shipped throughout the country’s vital supply chain.
Pilot Company CEO Jimmy Haslam confirmed in a statement that all three victims were Pilot employees.
“Today is a difficult day for the Pilot Company family. We are devastated to confirm the loss of three team members and the injury of a guest after an act of violence at our Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, location this morning,” the statement said. “It is with heavy hearts that we extend our deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of the victims. We are providing support and counseling to the families and our team. We are working closely with local authorities. Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.”
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