Employee allegedly shoots three co-workers at Smile Direct Club in Nashville

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — An employee allegedly shot and injured three co-workers at a Smile Direct Club manufacturing facility in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, early Tuesday, officials said.

One worker was struck in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the leg, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference.

One of the victims is in critical condition, he said.

The suspected gunman, a 22-year-old employee, left the building as officers responded to the call, but officers spotted him at an intersection and demanded he drop the weapon, police said.

The suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, instead directed the gun toward officers, according to Aaron.

The suspect was shot by police and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

It appears the gunman acted alone, police said. The suspect, who was not named, started working at Smile Direct Club in June, police said. He also worked there from late 2019 to early 2020.

Smile Direct Club said in a statement, “The safety of our team members is a top priority for our Company and we maintain strict security protocols and a no weapons policy at all of our facilities. We are working with the local police as they investigate this matter.”