Pub. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The Central High Emma Walker was shot by Riley Gaul, her ex-boyfriend, as she slept in her North Investigators say William Riley Gaul killed the Central High School cheerleader . Students began to gather around the victim, said freshman Jared Wohlford, 14. Multiple gunshot victims have been reported at Austin-East Magnet High School, including a police officer responding to the scene. Photo: (Knoxville Police Department) One man was killed and a police officer injured at a Tennessee high school shooting on Monday afternoon. It can be a small gesture, such as bringing someone their very treat when they arrive home or simply giving a loved one a hug. The plan went off without a hitch and investigators took Gaul into custody that night. Although Gaul would later insist to investigators that he had been kidnapped by two men who threw him into a van, Emma believed Gaul had been faking the kidnapping. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Her fun, kind, sweet spirit was contagious. Early that fall, Walkers moves on the sidelines caught the eye of an older student, Number 8 Central Highs wide receiver and then-junior Riley Gaul. When I first met him (Gaul), I thought he might've been a grieving boyfriend, Det. Knoxville Central High School "At that point, I knew that it probably was not a suicide," she added. Because he had a way of isolating her and making her think that he was the only one.. When it comes to school spirit, few can bring it more than Southeast High School junior Jaziah Rowe, and she has to. "Just things that he would just say a lot as a cry for help, I guess, in a way.". For every nasty message Gaul sent Walker, there was also a quick apology. He would just wait outside for hours, Hutton said. Knoxville school shooting She was a junior at Central High School, a member of the Youre dead to me Ill check the obituary ---- you, Gaul wrote. I just told her, um, how much I loved her, and, uh, that I was sorry she didnt want what we had anymore, he said in an interrogation tape. Then, Lauren Hutton said, things became intense between the couple. Every day for the rest of his life, wherever that may be, he will have to live with that reality. And going way overboard to do that," she added. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? It doesn't even need to be for anyone people know personally. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Those two young men contacted us and asked if they could help us get what they believed to be the murder weapon back," Merritt told "20/20." It's not OK," she said. He told investigators he spent the rest of the night in the parking lot of his college dorm, 25 miles away, crying over the breakup. William Riley Gaul appeared in Knox County Criminal Court on Friday morning to make his case. I opened up her door to her bedroom and I stared at her for probably 15, 20 seconds and she was just lying asleep in her bed and I shut the door and went to my sons bedroom and he was in the bed asleep so I thought, Im hearing things., Friends who knew Emma who spent her days volunteering at an animal shelter and dreaming of one day becoming a neonatal nurse described her as down to earth, sweet, and the cheerleader on her high school squad who put the sparkle into what she would do.. The arrangement didnt sit well with Emmas parents, but Emma could be stubborn. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. A local news outlet in Knoxville, Tennessee has reported that an individual has been detained as a suspect in the shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School that left multiple people wounded. Her 21st birthday would have been this week, Mardi Growl to close several roads in downtown Knoxville on Saturday, What you need to know about paying to park in the Great Smoky Mountains, Severe storms move through East Tennessee, "It can happen to anybody" | Mother raises awareness about teen dating violence and abuse, Mom raises awareness about verbal abuse, domestic violence, HOPE for Victims holds vigil calling for friendship, hope and support for victims of domestic violence. "We finally get to him and he's pulling up his head, kind of, has this confused face on," Greene said. And he said, 'I know. "It's exciting.". Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Leave me alone,'" he said. The Emma Walker Memorial Fund can be found, or by following the link https://www.youcaring.com/theemmawalkermemorialfundforfuneralexpenses-698574. Her dad, Mark Walker, recalled hearing a loud noise the night she died Nov. 21, 2016. During his two-hour police interrogation, Gaul didnt referred to Emma Walker by name, only calling her "the girl.". Gauls close friends, Alex and Noah, reached out the sheriffs office after Gaul had confided in them that he needed to dispose of his grandfathers gun and needed their help to toss the gun into the Tennessee River. She found out later that had never been the case, and Gaul came up with an unorthodox plan for both girls when it came time for prom. Grief counselors were on hand at Central High on Tuesday. If you don't comply I will hurt them.". Walker's friends and family were devastated. When Gaul started college, Emma discovered he had been photographed with other girls and ended the relationship for good just before Thanksgiving. Police were sent to the Walker house. Greene said Walker started begging him for help, until he said, "Eventually she comes out and says, 'Zach, listen. He quickly came to her aid and searched the house and neighborhood but found no signs of the hooded figure. WebPolice say Emma was killed in her bedroom on Nov. 21 when her 18-year-old ex-boyfriend, former Maryville College wide receiver William Riley Gaul, allegedly shot her from outside Im home alone and somebody in all black walked down my street and came to my door and rang the doorbell over and over again, Walker texted, adding I thought I was going to die., She also texted Gaul, saying, I hate you but I need you right now.". He was convicted of her death and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. She really loved doing it. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. WebKnoxville 0:04 0:57 The case of murdered Central High School cheerleader Emma Jane Walker will be profiled on "Dateline" tonight at 10 p.m. on NBC. I was worried and we were watching her, Jill Walker said. Her mother said she loved animals and wanted to be a NICU nurse, so the family has since gotten a dog park and a NICU patient room at East Tennessee Childrens Hospital named after her. As a host, you should also make arrangement for water. "He's trying to get her attention to talk to him. This is insane, Noah can be heard saying in the recording as they head to meet Gaul. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? We also offer the Coffee Machine Free Service. When Walker failed to meet up with her mother that morning as planned, Jill Walker returned to home and found her daughter and Gaul in the front yard. Knoxville, TN. Jill Walker said they advised their daughter to break-up with Gaul several times., But as you do that with a teenager, the more you butt heads, the more she is going to think he is in the right, she said. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville native and Central High School graduate Kelsea Ballerini released the music video to her hit song half of my hometown Thursday. When Walker's parents first met Gaul, they said their first impressions of him were positive. Varsity Boys Wrestling Multi-team Event. Additionally, none of Walker's friends contacted the authorities about the alleged kidnapping that night. Riley Gaul continued to repeatedly contact Emma Walker after their breakup. November 23, 2016 / 3:49 PM Irrespective of the kind of premix that you invest in, you together with your guests will have a whale of a time enjoying refreshing cups of beverage. 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", "His interview was probably one of the most disconnected. The former high school and college football player is serving a life sentence with a chance at parole after 51 years for killing Walker in her home in November 2016. In one post, Walker wrote, Look how lucky I am.. Jamar Siler, 15, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and was being held in a juvenile court facility, police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. "I told him, 'Obviously not and not to ever ask me anything like that again.' Detectives brought Gaul in for questioning on Monday about his whereabouts during the previous 72 hours. So, find out what your needs are, and waste no time, in placing the order. She loved just being part of crowd appeal.. A little after 6:00 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, Jill Walker went into her daughters room but she couldnt wake her up. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. A memorial fund has been set up for Emma. "Everybody kept giving us the name Riley Gaul because of their relationship, because they had seen the way that Riley had treated her, the way he'd talk to her," Merritt said. Jamarion Gillett, 15, previously attended the school in the fall of 2020 before he was killed in a separate incident on 9 March. Video unavailable Watch on "(On Fridays) everybody's excited at school to see how well we do. The Knox County Sheriff's Office reported that Walker had broken off a relationship with Gaul two weeks before they said he fired a 9 mm handgun into Walker's bedroom. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee acknowledged the shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School in a statement, calling it a very difficult and tragic situation.. Again I am sorry.". Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 16-year-old Emma Walker, a popular, bubbly Central High School cheerleader, went to sleep in her bedroom at her familys Tennessee home just like she had so many nights before but this time, the teenager would never wake up. One man was killed and a police officer injured at a Tennessee high school shooting on Monday afternoon. Its like a nightmare, Jill told Dateline: Secrets Uncovered,airing Thursdays at 8/7c on Oxygen. WebKnoxville is also the site of Tennessees last fatal shooting of a student inside of a school. But then after a while was when we got kind of concerned.. Officials said evidence at the scene indicted Gaul fired shots into her bedroom He came in very polite, very nice in the beginning. ", Signs of an unhealthy relationship and what you should do about it. His trial date on charges related to the death of 16-year-old Emma Walker was set for April 30. But Gaul continued to deny having anything to do with Walker's death. "When I first got there, I started my photographs on the outside of the residence. Around 11:30 p.m. that night, her friend and classmate Zach Greene arrived at the house where they were hanging out and Walker pulled him aside. Just hours before Emma was shot the next day, Gaul told investigators he had spoken to Emma on the phone. Jefferson County High School. on demand Nov 17, 2022 3:00 PM PST. How'd I get here?' He says the officers encountered him in a bathroom and ordered him out but he wouldnt comply. "He ended up telling me that he was so fearful for his life that he had stolen his grandfather's gun and he showed it to me," McCarty relayed to 20/20. Knoxville Central High School. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The Friday before Thanksgiving as Emma was at a party with friends, she got a disturbing text message telling her that Gaul had been kidnapped. Greene said that Walker thought it was one of Gaul's friends playing a prank on her, but that she texted back, threatening to call the police. The shooting happened shortly after 8 a.m. at the Central High School cafeteria, Chief Deputy Bill Roehl said, and the suspected shooter was taken into custody minutes later on a nearby street. Raised by his mother and grandparents, Gaul was a top student and loved to play video games. When news of her tragic death spread, Gaul was quick to memorialize his ex-girlfriend on Facebook. Chad Griffin, 15, and Josh Matthews, 14, said that they were sitting about 10 feet away from the victim and talking when they heard a sharp noise. Investigators say William Riley Gaul killed the Central High School cheerleader . Maryvilles football roster indicates Gaul graduated from Central High. Web1:07 William Riley Gaul will serve no extra prison time besides a mandatory life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend, Central High School honor student and cheerleader Emma Walker. "She's, she's 16.". They also uncovered spent shell casings and a live round in the grass outside her home. "(I) said her name, didn't hear anything, bumped her leg, didn't hear anything," Jill Walker said. Jill, however, wasn't convinced. TV networks and People magazine were among the news outlets nationally that reported and covered the case. A video appears to show an individual in handcuffs being led away from Austin-East Magnet High School in handcuffs in the wake of a mass shooting that left multiple people injured. The machines are affordable, easy to use and maintain. He had like promised his ex-girlfriend he would still take her to prom that year and take Emma his senior year, Emmas friend Kelsey recalled to Dateline reporter Andrea Canning. She was a cheerleader and student at Central High School.
knoxville central high school cheerleader killed