NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The tragedy at The Covenant School feels both like yesterday and a lifetime ago.
As we reflect on 2024, we wanted to show you where the school is now and how state policies have changed.
Tragically, the mass shooting that killed three children and three adults on March 27, 2023, thrust Covenant into the spotlight. It placed the small, private school in Green Hills at the heart of intense legislative debates.
This year started a lot like 2023 ended. There was speculation surrounding how lawmakers would approach gun safety as well as the wants of Covenant families.
In a moving interview before the legislative session, the parents of Evelyn Dieckhaus told NewsChannel5's Phil Williams that passing balanced gun control measures was going to take work and changing minds.
"The lawmakers we had been talking with who had been very engaging, very emotional with us, very sorrowful. They were wanting to know. They said: 'What can we do?'" Mike Dieckhaus recalled. "We said, 'Look, we don't know what to do, but we think that something needs to be done on the side of firearms' — and you could just feel the room change."
We asked, "It was not a subject that they wanted to discuss?"
"It certainly didn't seem like it," the Dieckhauses replied.
The year after the Covenant shooting, the state set stricter penalties for threats of mass violence. Lawmakers also required schools to create more clear fire alarm plans at the request of the mother of William Kinney. He was the line leader for his class — the first kid to step out into the hallway when the active shooter's gunfire set off the fire alarm in the building.
"When an unannounced fire alarm goes off -- in this crazy evil world that we live in these days -- you can't assume it's a fire. You just can't," said House Majority Leader William Lamberth.
Then, legislators expanded gun access by allowing some teachers to carry guns on public school grounds. Hearings stirred intense emotions. Eventually, state troopers were told to remove the audience.
Incredibly, the chaos at the capitol went on the same week a Nashville judge was hearing the Covenant public records case.
In the wake of the shooting, several groups sued for access to the shooter's journals and police records.
"We learn from experience, and the more horrible the experience is, the more important it is to learn from that experience and learn everything possible from that experience to prevent future such experiences," argued Doug Pierce, an attorney who represented those wanting the release of the writings.
We got the judge's ruling in July. Chancellor I'Ashea Myles sided with the parents who testified they owned the copyright. Her decision concerned open records advocates. Deborah Fisher with the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government called it a dangerous precedent.
"I think that's going to be a problem with transparency in police and transparency in the justice system," said Deborah Fisher.
The high-profile court case didn't stop leaks. A plaintiff in the lawsuit, The Tennessee Star, somehow acquired 80 pages of the shooter's disturbing diaries. In September, the TBI raided the house of a former Metro Nashville police lieutenant as part of their investigation into the leak.
Throughout it all, we've seen people stand by The Covenant School. Donations and prayers allowed the school to reopen in April. This fall semester marked the first time classes started at the Burton Hills campus since January 2023. The Head of School toured the media around campus in June.
A few months ago, we found out that the school is raising money to move to a new campus. It caught us off guard, especially considering all the effort that went into getting students and staff back into the building. The school and the church are separate organizations and each run independently. What's still unclear is what will happen to the current school building once the final three-year lease which is rent-free comes to an end.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
Another example of how one person can truly make a difference. And the best part - we all can help! As a nurse, Laura handles emergencies every day. But nothing could prepare her for the emergency that brought her hometown to its knees. From her current home in Tennessee, she's mobilizing aid and supplies for Helene survivors and is helping make their recovery easier and their holidays brighter. I hope you take a moment to watch her story - you might even feel inspired to lend a helping hand.
-Rebecca Schleicher
