Man stabs to death three women and injures a fourth at a Tennessee truck stop before being shot dead by police after he refused to drop his weapon
- Series of stabbings took place at Pilot Travel Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, early Tuesday
- Suspect identified as Idris Abdus-Salaam 33, truck driver from Durham, North Carolina
- Officials say Abdus-Salaam stabbed to death three female staffers working at the truck stop and wounded a female customer
- When deputies arrived, they ordered Abdus-Salaam to drop the knife but he refused, leading to his fatal shooting
- Deceased victims identified as Joyce Whaley, 57; Patricia Nibbe, 51, and Nettie Spencer, 41
A truck driver from North Carolina has been identified as the man who fatally stabbed three women and wounded a fourth at a Tennessee truck stop this morning before a deputy shot and killed him after he refused to drop his knife.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday afternoon identified the suspect in the stabbings at the Pilot Travel Center on Strawberry Plains Pike off Interstate 40 as 33-year-old Idris Abdus-Salaam, from Durham, North Carolina.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at 7am at the truck stop to find a woman with stab wounds outside the store and a man armed with a knife in the parking lot, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Witnesses identified Abdus-Salaam as the suspect and he refused deputies’ demands to drop the weapon, the bureau said.
Authorities in Tennessee say a man arrived at the Pilot Travel Center on Strawberry Plains Pike off Interstate 40 and proceeded to stab three female workers and a customer
The three workers were pronounced dead at the scene from their injuries and the surviving victim was hospitalized for treatment
As some point during the confrontation, a deputy opened fired, striking and killing the suspect, the statement said.
Authorities found in all four stabbing victims. Three were pronounced dead at the scene from their wounds and the fourth was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The victims include Pilot employees, identified by TBI as Joyce Whaley, 57; Patricia Nibbe, 51, and Nettie Spencer, 41.
Investigators were still working to determine a motive for the deadly attack, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Leslie Earhart said.
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said the deputy who fired the shot was not hurt.
A deputy shot dead the attacker after he allegedly refused to drop the knife and surrender
Pilot CEO Jimmy Haslam released a statement to the station WATE addressing the fatal incident at the travel center.
‘Today is a difficult day for the Pilot Company family,’ he stated. ‘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.
‘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.’