Tragedy Strikes Nashville Christian School
On Monday, a tragic shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee claimed the lives of three children and three adults. The assailant, a 28-year-old former student at the school, also died after a confrontation with police. The shooter was armed with two “assault-type” weapons, a rifle and a pistol, with at least two of the weapons obtained legally in the Nashville area.
The Covenant School, a Presbyterian elementary school with approximately 200 students from preschool to sixth grade and about 50 employees, was the site of the tragedy. The victims, identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 9 years old, along with Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill, were pronounced dead at the scene. Koonce was identified as the school’s principal on the school’s website.
As with other school shootings across the country, this latest tragedy has heightened concerns about school safety and the availability of weapons. President Joe Biden, speaking at a non-public event, called the shooting “a family’s worst nightmare,” and renewed his call for Congress to pass a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons.
The school is located in Nashville’s upscale Green Hill neighborhood, close to the city’s main universities and the Bluebird Café, a popular spot for musicians and composers.
