Child run over and killed at end of Christmas parade

MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. - A child was fatally struck at the end of a Christmas parade in Tennessee, authorities said.  

The child was hit Saturday by a pickup truck that was towing a trailer in a parking lot at Mount Juliet Middle School, police said in a news release.  

The Wilson County School District identified the child as a student at a local elementary school, but didn't give further details.  

"Our hearts are very heavy with deep sadness over today's tragic loss," the Wilson County School District said in an online message Saturday. "We lift our strongest prayers for the family during this extremely difficult time.  

Several officers responded to the scene and an ambulance had to be escorted through heavy traffic during the parade's ending, the police statement said.  

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is handling the investigation. Further details of the incident weren't immediately released, and a patrol spokesman didn't respond to a request for comment Sunday.   A candlelight vigil was planned Sunday in front of the middle school where the child was hit.