On the anniversary of the deadly attack at the Covenant School, leaders there are acknowledging the support they’ve received from the community, and from their faith. “We find solace in the light that has emerged from the darkness,” they shared in a statement.
The private Christian school in Green Hills is also noting the ongoing pain of dealing with the loss of six people who were part of its community. Three adults — Mike Hill, Katherine Koonce and Cynthia Peak — and three children — Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs — were killed by a 28-year-old former student who broke into the school and opened fire before being fatally shot by police.
The ripple effect from the attack has been vast. It prompted increased funding for school safety in Tennessee and a special legislative session. There are still lingering court cases seeking the release of investigative records related to the shooting. And though there haven’t been any significant changes to the state’s gun laws, the tragedy has brought new urgency and new people to the local gun reform movement.
People like Sarah Shoop Neumann, whose eldest son is a student at the Covenant School.
Over the past year, Neumann and many other Covenant parents have become fixtures at the state capitol, attending committees, tracking bills and meeting with legislators.
“This has been the most unwanted eye-opening experience,” she said, “And I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard. But I think we’ve just got to keep showing up.”
The school will mark the anniversary with a private event, which Neumann plans to attend.
More: How two mothers bonded over gun reform advocacy after the Covenant School shooting
Nashvillians link arms one year later
A large memorial took place Wednesday, in which thousands of residents linked arms from the children’s hospital at Vanderbilt University to the Tennessee State Capitol. The event began with a gathering of faith leaders and musical guests at Musicians Corner in Centennial Park.
The sidewalk outside the hospital was crowded with grown-ups holding signs and children drawing with chalk. The air was full of bubbles, and the sound of people singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”
Rose Gilbert WPLN NewsThe Linking Arms for Change chain began in front of the children’s hospital at Vanderbilt University on March 27, 2024.
Cynthia Woodward, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner, said this felt like the right place for her to be on the anniversary.
“We work really closely with children and feel very strongly about their safety and want to do everything we can to continue to promote that outside of our jobs,” she said.
The shooting hit close to home for Steve Stone, who is an associate pastor at Belle Meade United Methodist Church. He has family who are members of the Covenant Church, and his nephew was friends with some of the victims.
“It also rings close to home all the times it’s happened before that I have overlooked, that I didn’t take close to heart. And now it’s in my city and now I’m moved by it,” he said. “So I wish I’d been moved sooner and spoke up sooner, but now, is the time to do it. So if you haven’t spoken up, do it, now.”
Katherine Merill is a founding member of Voices for a Safer Tennessee, the gun reform advocacy group that organized the Linking for Arms for Change event. She greeted those joining the human chain by pointing out the organization’s buttons to wear and chalk to write messages with.
“Obviously, there are many ways that people are commemorating this day, but I think if you’re not closely connected to Covenant, you still feel a huge sense of loss and sadness for that community and for our entire community,” she said. “And so this is a great way for us all to acknowledge that we’re still here supporting.”
Board chair Todd Cruse says the group is for anyone in the state.
“I’m a Republican. I’m a gun owner. I’m a hunter. I’m a father. I’m a concerned citizen,” he told Nashville Public Radio.
Rachel Iacovone WPLN NewsMargo Price and Ketch Secor perform at the Covenant School vigil on March 29, 2023.
Cruse joined the nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition as it got its start 11 months ago. Voices for a Safer Tennessee now boasts 25,000 members with chapters in all 95 counties in the state, and it’s supported by coalition members like Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show.
“When I’m up on the stage with my fiddle and my cowboy hat on and I’m looking out at the crowd, I’m seeing a lot of folks who have a firearm, hopefully locked safely in their car, but I see a lot of folks that care a lot about the Second Amendment in my crowd,” Secor said. “So I think that music has a really important role that it has yet to play, and so I challenge makers of country music to stand up.”
Hear more of their conversation in our studio this week below:
Vice Mayor Angie Henderson and several Metro councilmembers, including the Covenant School area’s councilmember, Sandy Ewing, said they would gather in the public square in front of City Hall to walk over and join the human chain together.
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsTennesseans link arms in a human chain from the children’s hospital at Vanderbilt to the Tennessee State Capitol on the one-year anniversary of the Covenant School shooting.
Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell, who represents the Covenant School area, was at the capitol end of the chain. She remembered helping reunite Covenant parents with their children at a nearby church one year ago.
“Here we are a year later, and nothing has been done to make our kids safer,” she said. “Our legislation is failing, and it’s unacceptable. And quite frankly, it’s unconscionable that that our legislators won’t do something about this. And it is the guns. It is the guns.”
Catherine Sweeney WPLN NewsThe human chain on the one-year anniversary of the Covenant School shooting stretched to the Tennessee State Capitol.
Leaders share in anniversary
In a statement Wednesday morning, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said he has been inspired by the “love and grace” he’s seen from the Covenant community and promised long-term city support.
— Freddie O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) March 27, 2024
In a statement, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he will lift the Covenant community in prayer.
“There are no words adequate enough to describe the immeasurable pain and sorrow of the families,” he wrote. “Tennessee has been forever changed, and yet our hope is that through that change, along with the prayers of millions, there will be redemption through this great tragedy.”
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted, “My heart breaks for the families of those who lost loved ones in this senseless act of violence.” Blackburn said she channeled her grief into sponsoring the SAFE Schools Act with fellow Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty. The bill would increase federal funding of school security, including a program to train and hire more school safety officers.
Nashville’s first responders are encouraging residents to pause in remembrance for the lives lost.
Join us as we pause to remember these beautiful souls taken on March 27, 2023. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/IH5RrUu8gX
— Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) March 27, 2024
Anniversary statement from the Covenant School
“The past year has been terribly difficult for our community, and the pain is still very real. Throughout this challenging time, our unwavering commitment has been to prioritize the well-being and healing of our students, families, teachers, and staff.
“As we mark this painful anniversary, we find solace in the light that has emerged from the darkness. It is with profound gratitude that we acknowledge the overwhelming outpouring of love and support we have received from our local Nashville community and around the world. Your kindness has been a beacon of hope, and the depth of your generosity profoundly moves us. We continue to see all of the ways in which the Lord is providing for and loving our community. He has been and will continue to be our comfort and strength.”
This story was last updated at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
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