NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday at a Nashville high school, resulting in the death of a female student and injuries to another. The shooting took place in the cafeteria of Antioch High School, where police reported that a 17-year-old male student, identified as Solomon Henderson, opened fire before taking his own life with a handgun.
According to Police Chief John Drake, Henderson specifically confronted 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante in the cafeteria, shooting her fatally. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting to understand if the victims were specifically targeted. A male student sustained minor injuries, described as a graze wound, and was treated before being released from the hospital. Another student was hospitalized for a facial injury sustained during the chaos.
At the time of the shooting, which occurred around 11 a.m. CDT, there were two school resource officers present in the building. However, they were not near the cafeteria, and by the time they arrived at the scene, the incident had concluded with the shooter dead. Antioch High School has an enrollment of around 2,000 students and is situated approximately 10 miles southeast of Nashville’s downtown.
In the aftermath of the shooting, officials established a family safety center near a local hospital to assist parents in reuniting with their children. Dajuan Bernard was waiting anxiously at a nearby service station for his son, a 10th grader who had been kept in the auditorium along with other students during the incident. Bernard learned of the shooting from his son, who was visibly shaken but confirmed that he was safe.
“It’s alarming to think this can happen anywhere,” Bernard expressed, emphasizing the need to protect children and guide them properly to prevent such incidents.
Fonda Abner, whose granddaughter attends Antioch High, highlighted that the school lacks metal detectors, which could potentially have alerted staff to weapons on campus. She received frantic calls from her granddaughter, initially mistaking them for accidental dialings due to the background noise.
Waiting for updates was a nerve-wracking experience for Abner, as she expressed her concerns regarding school safety. Adrienne Battle, the superintendent of Nashville schools, addressed the media, stating that the school district has deployed various safety measures, such as increased police presence, security cameras equipped with weapon-detection software, and reinforced glass.
“Sadly, these safety protocols were not enough to prevent this heart-wrenching incident,” Battle remarked, acknowledging the ongoing debate around the potential implementation of permanent metal detectors. While prior studies show their limitations, she asserted the commitment to exploring new technologies and strategies aimed at enhancing school safety.
This shooting comes nearly two years after another devastating attack in Nashville, wherein a gunman opened fire at a private elementary school, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including three children. This previous incident spurred a significant civil movement among community activists and families advocating for gun control measures, yet efforts faced strong opposition from Republican legislators in the predominantly GOP state.
Despite the existing supermajority in the legislature, which is unlikely to shift attitudes toward gun control legislation, lawmakers have shown a willingness to enhance school security. This includes a recent measure allowing selected teachers and staff to carry concealed weapons on school grounds without notifying parents or other educators about who is armed.
Antioch has experienced other notable shootings in recent years, including a tragic incident in 2017 at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, which left one person dead and several others injured, as well as a shooting at a Waffle House in 2018 that claimed four lives.
In light of these recurring tragedies, the community remains on high alert, striving to navigate the complexities of safety and gun control in schools.
