Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper says the shooter wounded two students and a teacher Wednesday afternoon outside rural Townville Elementary but was apprehended before he could get inside the building.
Skipper says firefighter Jamie Brock "just took him down." Brock is a 30-year veteran of the Townville Volunteer Fire Department just down the road from the school and arrived before other officers responding to a 911 call from the school.
Deputies arrived minutes later.
Authorities say they don't yet know a motive for the shooting and they weren't sure if the students and teacher were targeted.