2 Killed in School Bus Yard Shooting in Tennessee

CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — A gunman fatally shot two people and then apparently turned the gun on himself at a school bus yard here on Friday, authorities said.

The Crossville Police Department said in a press release that a 911 call came in at about 2:27 p.m. on Friday, reporting shots fired at Cumberland County School District’s bus garage.

Officers responded to the scene and found that three people in the parking lot — two men and one woman — had suffered gunshot wounds. Police said that emergency medical personnel were on the scene rendering aid, and an air ambulance was dispatched to the scene.

Joy Nostrom, 58, was pronounced dead at the school bus yard. Mark Gunter, 54, was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Nostrom’s estranged husband, Warren Nostrom, 74, had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released.

The Crossville Police Department said on Friday that statements were being taken from witnesses, evidence collection was underway, and the investigation was continuing. The Cumberland County Office of the District Attorney General and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were notified and joined the investigation.

On Saturday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that Warren Nostrom had been arrested in connection with the shooting. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and was booked into the Cumberland County Jail on a $4 million bond.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that the investigation remains active and ongoing.

The Crossville Chronicle reported that Joy Nostrom had an order of protection against Warren Nostrom. According to the newspaper, Joy Nostrom had moved out of the couple’s home and was living in an apartment.

The Crossville Chronicle also cited affidavits that laid out more details of the suspected sequence of events. According to the affidavits, the newspaper reported, investigators believe that Warren Nostrom followed Joy Nostrom into the school bus parking lot, exited his vehicle, shot Gunter in the chest, and then followed Joy Nostrom a short distance before shooting her once in the head.

Josh DeVine, public information officer for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, told SBF that Joy Nostrom worked as a school bus driver. DeVine said he did not have employment information for Gunter or for Warren Nostrom.

The Cumberland County School District issued a press release about the shooting on Friday, noting that the threat was contained at the scene of the school bus garage. The incident coincided with dismissal times for the district's 12 schools.

“Due to the timing of this event, our primary concern was that all of our students were transported safely and as promptly as possible,” the school district said. “Several buses were unable to leave the garage as a result of this event, which created some challenges. However, all students that were transported were home by approximately 5:30 p.m.”

On Monday, the Cumberland County School District posted a message on Facebook, expressing sympathy for the victims’ families and sharing more details about the response to the shooting: