Nashville Attack Takes Six Lives; Schools Review Safety Protocols

Psalm 147:3: “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

Sadly, another deadly mass shooting has taken place at an American school. This time, a Christian school was targeted.

On March 27, 2023, The Covenant School—a Presbyterian parochial school in Nashville, Tennessee—was attacked. The attacker was a 28-year-old woman who had attended The Covenant School at one time. (Some media outlets inaccurately refer to the shooter as a man because she identified as “transgender”; however, she was female.) The attacker had engaged in surveillance and created a detailed map of the school to prepare for this deadly event; she had also written a “manifesto” that has been obtained by police. The attacker was armed with a rifle, a pistol, and a handgun. After entering the school building, she fired a total of 152 rounds, killing three children and three adults. The attacker was shot and killed by police at the scene.

The six individuals who lost their lives in this vicious attack were Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9; head of school Katherine Koonce; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak; and custodian Mike Hill.

Locally, the shooting leaves schools across New York State reviewing their safety and security protocols. Some legislators call for school resource officers in every school, leading to quicker response times. “How many shootings do we need to witness before we realize the time has come to empower schools to take care of their own safety needs,” asked Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes (R-Caledonia). “There is no rational reason to prevent schools from hiring retired law enforcement, should they wish to, to better safeguard their students, faculty and property. It is time for Albany to pass this common-sense measure and allow schools to make the decision for themselves.”

At New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation, we are heartbroken by the loss of six precious lives in Nashville due to the evil acts of one disturbed individual. The grief and pain that the children, families, and staff at The Covenant School are experiencing is beyond measure. At a time like this, prayers and kind words seem inadequate. Nevertheless, let us keep all those who have been affected by this wanton act of violence in our prayers. In a broken world filled with sin and suffering, God is with them.