NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Only a few hours into the school day on March 27, 2023, six innocent people were killed in the hallways of The Covenant School.
The end of the year brings a lot of reflection, and a defining moment in 2023 was this tragedy.
The day that everything changed started with a flood of gut-wrenching 911 calls. Initially, three calls were released by the Metro Nashville Police Department. The department said it took less than 15 minutes from the time the first call came in until police took down and killed the shooter inside the school in Green Hills.
Hannah walks us through the tragedy and the aftermath of The Covenant School shooting in the player above.
Police released a six-minute compilation of body-cam video from two of the officers who responded. At times, it's jarring and graphic, but it clearly shows the quick response — which likely saved lives. Metro Police Chief John Drake said he was proud of how the officers carried themselves.
"It was just amazing," said Chief John Drake. "These officers, we train that — when we respond to a situation like this, and God forbid we were hoping we would never have to but, they did — they immediately went in [and] they found the threat."
The six innocent people who were killed by the shooter, a former student, were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, Hallie Scruggs, Katherine Koonce, Mike Hill and Cynthia Peak. Three students and three staff members.
The shooting shook the community.
"It's just to me the least likely place in the entire city to have a mass shooting," said one Nashville resident.
"We are certainly out here praying for every family connected to this tragedy, for the families of every student represented in this school," said another resident.
On that horrible day, heroes emerged.
"The teachers that day were the first first responders," said Pete Griffin, a volunteer with the Metro Office of Emergency Management.
From the teachers at Covenant to the Metro Schools bus drivers who volunteered to bus students to safety.
"I'm a mom, so I wanted to get the kids to their parents," said Metro school bus driver Kelly Bell.
The parents of students in the elementary school would participate in the August Special Session. They continue to fight for a future free of shootings in schools.
"We've got a determination that's not going anywhere," said Sarah Shoop Neumann at the state capitol. She's the mother of a Covenant student.
There would be a court battle and a controversy over the shooter's journals.
Early on, the police department refused to release the writings, and several groups filed a lawsuit claiming that violated the state's public records act.
"It’s always better to have the facts come out about what was in the writings, rather than all these imaginations," said Deborah Fisher, the executive director of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government.
The case was set to be heard in a Nashville court until Covenant parents wanted to weigh in. Then, the case got kicked to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
In November, a three-judge panel decided families could intervene in the case. However, a surprise release of some of the shooter's hate-filled ramblings stole headlines. It's believed a former Metro Police officer likely played a part in the leak.
"You have now allowed this woman who terrorized our family with bullets to be able to now terrorize us with words from the grave," said Brent Leatherwood, a parent of multiple students at Covenant.
A new year won't magically heal the community because healing takes time. For now, Covenant asks for continued prayers and privacy.
The school continues to operate out of a temporary space. They plan to return to the Burton Hills campus in April.
It's truly the small things that add up to a great day - and Warrick in Lebanon is having a big impact. His familiar face is becoming a staple in one part of the community and inspiring closer connection in the simplest way. Enjoy his warm personality! You may even feel inclined to wave to a stranger today, too.
-Rebecca Schleicher
