NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The families of those who were killed Monday are absolutely our top priority, but today, we wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of the Covenant School shooting heroes.
The bravest of our heroes were the five officers who stormed the school, rushing into danger.
The body camera footage shows pure self-sacrifice. None of them knew what they'd run into behind each door, or in each hallway on a mission to protect and serve.
"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 - and they immediately went in - they found the threat," Chief Drake said.
Our next heroes are the school bus drivers who drove into the emergency and loaded up the young survivors and moved them toward their reunion with their parents.
They buried their emotions to offer a sense of safety and normalcy to frightened little ones.
"I had some kids sitting right behind me and they started crying and I turned around and said 'everything's going to be okay, you're on the bus'" said driver Tracy Garton.
Nashville's religious community members are also heroes. Pastors from all over Nashville offered their sanctuaries, first for the survivors and parents a safe place of reunification. They've held vigils and remembrance ceremonies and offered words of comfort to our grieving community.
"I think the thing that's most needed now is we have each other," said Pastor Davis Chappell. "I think sometimes, it's not so much what we say, it's being present for each other. Nobody has the answers to this."
Along with police, fire, and paramedics, The Metro Police chaplain division also rushed to the scene. 13 faith leaders were dispatched to comfort families waiting to see their children and console officers at the scene.
A few, including Sergeant Andrew Ivey, who leads the team had the most important task of all.
"Myself and a volunteer chaplain were at Vanderbilt with the parents who had lost children," Ivey said.
And finally, YOU.
Our community has wrapped its arms around the victims' families to support them in every way possible. People have gathered during vigils and walks through town, they've tied ribbons around their homes and neighborhoods, and of course, adding to the ever-growing memorial outside of the Covenant Church.
