NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The fear and the trauma of the Antioch High School shooting can only be described as a nightmare. But as MNPS's Director of Schools Adrienne Battle pointed out, this isn't the fire time the district has had a wake-up moment.
"As a middle school student at J.T. Moore, I experienced the pain of losing a classmate to gun violence," said Battle, during a news conference Wednesday.
In 1994, the scene was chaotic outside of J.T. Moore Middle in West Nashville. Students were watching "Beauty and the Beast" in music class, when a student started playing with a gun he brought to school. He accidentally pulled the trigger, killing Terrance Murray, 13.
"He was nice to everybody," said one friend that we interviewed in 1994.
"He liked to play basketball, football," said another friend.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to several students who were in the classroom on that day, even a parent of a child who was in the classroom. They ultimately decided not to do an interview with us. For many, they told us it was still too soon, even 30 years later, to talk about it.
After the accidental shooting at J.T. Moore, community leaders held meetings, hoping to come up with a solution.
"We have all been struggling with what happened last Thursday in our school system here," said Mayor Phil Bredesen, at the time. Bredesen would later become governor.
Nashville approved a host of policy changes, including putting pay phones in every Metro school so students could call an anonymous hotline to report guns in the classroom. Perhaps, more notable, was what the city didn't do. Metro leaders didn't put in metal detectors, saying the cost was just too expensive.
"If you can put them in the courthouse, why can’t we put them in schools?" said a Metro Council member at the time.
Another all too familiar scene. Months later, J.T. Moore students went to the Tennessee State Capitol to demand change. Students expressed their concern over a bill that would expand access to concealed weapons.
"We must eliminate this population of guns, before one claims my life," said one student.
"People will get away with more murders and more people will die in this state," said another student.
Then-Gov. Ned McWherter listened to their pleas.
"I’m proud you’re here and I’m proud that you’ve formulated an opinion," said Gov. McWherter.
But ultimately, he still signed the concealed weapons bill.
In many ways, there are unsettling parallels, as Nashville faces this nightmare once again.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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-Carrie Sharp
