Nashville High School Shooting Leaves Community in Mourning
– A shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, , left one student dead and another wounded, according to police. The 17-year-old male student who opened fire in the school cafeteria died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The deceased student has been identified as 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante. A 17-year-old male student sustained a graze wound and was treated and released from the hospital. Another student was transported to Ascension Saint Thomas Antioch hospital with minor facial injuries after a fall, police said.
The suspect has been identified as Solomon Henderson, an active student at Antioch High School. According to police, Henderson confronted Corea Escalante in the cafeteria and shot her before taking his own life.
The shooting unfolded at Wednesday, sending the school into lockdown and prompting a massive response from law enforcement. Parents rushed to the school, creating traffic congestion as they attempted to navigate police blockades and reach a reunification site located approximately a half mile away.
More than 100 parents had gathered at the reunification site by , awaiting the arrival of buses carrying students. Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle described the day as “heartbreaking” for Antioch High, MNPS and the greater Nashville community.
“My heart goes out to these families as they face unimaginable loss,” Battle said in a statement.
The incident has stirred feelings of fear and vulnerability among students and parents. Chante Frye, whose ninth-grade daughter was in a classroom during the shooting, described the experience as “terrifying.” Frye said her daughter texted her immediately, reporting the school was on lockdown.
“But it’s almost not surprising because it’s getting worse with the fights and the violence at school,” Frye said, speaking near the hospital where students were being reunited with their families.
Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake stated that the motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and an investigation is underway. Police are reviewing writings connected to Henderson, but have not yet determined if the shooting was targeted.
Authorities are also investigating whether an AI gun detection system at the school functioned properly. School officials have stated the system did not activate an alarm prior to the shooting. Madonna Elmore, a parent at Antioch High School, expressed dissatisfaction with the school’s current security measures.
The shooting comes nearly two years after a tragic incident at The Covenant School in Nashville, where three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members were killed in a shooting. This latest event has once again shaken the Nashville community and renewed concerns about school safety.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are continuing to gather information and interview witnesses.
