Looking back a year after the Covenant School shooting

All around Nashville, you’ll still find homes displaying black-and-red ribbons, or yard signs showing support for the Covenant School community following a mass shooting at the private school on March 27, 2023. The city now knows the names of the six victims: 9-year-olds Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, along with school staff Cynthia Peak (61), Mike Hill (61) and Katherine Koonce (60). So much has happened since then, yet so little has changed.

In the year since the Covenant School tragedy, we’ve learned more about those whose lives were taken. Through statements from parents and family friends, we know that Hallie was the first downstairs on Christmas morning, and that William was brave and kind. Through a NewsChannel 5 interview with Evelyn’s parents, we learned she squeezed tight during hugs. Peak was a passionate longtime educator; Hill was a kind man with a deep dedication to both Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Covenant School. Koonce was a strong leader who devoted herself to those around her until her last breath.

Following the shooting, the city united in grief at a vigil held at the steps of City Hall. The next day, thousands of people channeled their anger into calls for action at the steps of the state Capitol. Inside, Reps. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Justin Jones (D-Nashville) protested gun violence from the House floor — a move that motivated House leaders to call for their expulsions. 

Protests continued as the three Democrats, who became known nationally as the Tennessee Three, faced expulsion hearings. Jones and Pearson were expelled, but were quickly reinstated by their respective city councils. Johnson escaped expulsion by just one vote. 

During the remainder of last year’s legislative session, students, parents, faith leaders and community members of all stripes continued showing up at the Capitol calling for gun reform and seeking justice for the lawmakers who faced expulsion. At times the energy was intense, but protests remained peaceful. Galvanized by the tragedy, people with different viewpoints supported one another, sang together, marched together and modeled the kind of bipartisanship that they asked for but did not see from members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Amid pressure from protesters and scrutiny at a national level, Republicans fought among themselves, the Senate chose not to hear any gun-related legislation for the duration of the session, and lawmakers rushed the session to a close in late April. Lawmakers and right-wing media figures demanded to see the shooter’s writings, which were not released during the Metro Nashville Police Department’s investigation (which was assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation). Covenant parents didn’t want the public to see the documents — described by the TBI as “journal-type rantings” — though photos of journal pages were leaked by right-wing podcaster Steven Crowder in November. Several MNPD officers were reassigned pending an investigation, which ultimately proved to be inconclusive. 

When Gov. Bill Lee called a special session in August to address the shooting, some Republicans didn’t want to return to the Capitol. Protesters returned, and a few were removed from a committee room simply for holding signs — a House rule prohibiting signs was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, and a Chancery Court judge swiftly blocked enforcement of the rule. Parents of Covenant School students provided devastating testimony about the day — but lawmakers didn’t always listen. Again, the Senate deferred voting on virtually everything until the 2024 legislative session. The special session resulted in a handful of bills that changed very little. Lee’s call for extreme risk protection legislation — also known as red-flag laws, designed to take guns from people deemed a risk to public safety — went unanswered by the General Assembly’s Republican supermajority. 

One bill that Covenant parents advocated for during the special session has since passed — it requires schools to develop a policy to determine what caused a fire alarm. Another, which would close autopsy records of minors who were killed in a violent crime, is currently making its way through the legislature.

Covenant parents have continued to show up and advocate for legislation to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. They created two nonprofits — Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows and Covenant Families Action Fund — to formalize their advocacy. They joined an increasingly large group of others doing similar work. These groups held a rally calling for gun reform in February.

Two prominent gun safety advocates have announced their intentions to run for office. Earlier this month, Maryam Abolfazli, founder of civic engagement nonprofit Rise and Shine Tennessee, announced she’s considering running as a Democrat to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Any Ogles in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Shaundelle Brooks, whose son Akilah Dasilva was killed in Nashville’s 2018 Waffle House mass shooting, is running for state House District 60 (currently represented by Democrat Darren Jernigan, who is not seeking reelection following an appointment to Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration).

Despite all the energy, advocacy, organization and emotion that followed the Covenant School shooting, there’s been little meaningful change to help prevent future instances of gun violence in the state. Lawmakers have provided support so schools can be more equipped to respond to intruders, but critics seek proactive rather than reactive measures. They’re calling for red-flag laws and legislation related to safe storage, background checks and magazine capacities — measures that have received support from both conservative and liberal voters, including a majority of Tennessee Republicans and gun owners.

The question remains — what must happen to facilitate stricter gun safety laws in Tennessee?

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.