NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A tragic scene unfolded at Antioch High School in Nashville on Wednesday when a shooting resulted in the death of one student and left another injured, marking yet another instance of gun violence in the United States.

The incident took place just after 11 a.m. local time at the school, located about 17 miles southeast of downtown Nashville. Officials reported that the suspected shooter, Solomon Henderson, was a current student at the school and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the location.

The deceased student was identified as 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante. Another male student sustained a minor injury from a graze, and a different student was taken to the hospital due to slight facial injuries caused by a fall.

As news of the shooting broke, anxious parents hurried to the school, creating traffic congestion on the exit route near Interstate 24 and along Murfreesboro Pike as they sought to bypass police barriers. By 1 p.m., over 100 parents had gathered at a designated reunion area roughly half a mile from the school while waiting for buses bringing students back.

Chante Frye shared that her ninth-grade daughter was in a classroom when she heard the sound of gunfire. Her daughter texted her mother to inform her that the school was in lockdown.

“It was horrifying,” Frye recounted, standing near Ascension Saint Thomas Antioch Hospital where the reunification with students was being organized. “But, honestly, I’m not surprised because the situation with fights and violence in schools has been escalating.”

Student: ‘I Was Lost in the Moment’

Tinashae Smith felt a wave of fear wash over her on the bus ride away from Antioch High School. Just hours earlier, Smith, a ninth grader, was in class when she noticed students running through the hallways.

She immediately alerted her teacher, who attempted to connect with the school administration, but Tinashae mentioned that there was no response. When another student checked their phone and reported a shooting, she struggled to accept it. It wasn’t until her sister, a 2021 alum of the school, texted her confirming the news that the seriousness dawned on her.

After a message over the intercom, Tinashae’s class quickly took cover under their desks and barricaded the door with classroom furniture.

“I was so confused,” she expressed. “I didn’t know what to do. I was terrified. Everything just felt wrong.”

She finally reunited with her sister at the designated gathering point around 2 p.m.

“I hope I never have to go through something like that again,” Tinashae said.

Sophomore Sophia Avendano was in the cafeteria at the time of the shooting. When she attempted to call her mother, the surrounding chaos made it impossible to communicate, forcing them to switch to text messages. Meanwhile, her brother David was outside, participating in a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps activity.

At some point, Sophia fled from the cafeteria into the turmoil, trying to keep her parents updated whenever she could make a call.

Covenant School Parent ‘Sickened’ by Another Tragedy

The Antioch shooting deeply affected the Nashville community, reminiscent of the heartbreaking event in March 2023 when three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members lost their lives at The Covenant School, a private elementary institution in Nashville. Parents from that community expressed their sorrow and “disgust” at the continued violence impacting young people.

Mary Joyce, a parent from Covenant, was struck with a sense of déjà vu on Wednesday. Her 9-year-old daughter had been hidden away in a classroom during the previous shooting in March.

“My heart goes out to the students, teachers, and families at Antioch High School,” Joyce stated. “It’s unfathomable until you endure it, and the fear and devastation from today will be indelibly etched in their minds. They’ll carry this day forever. How many more times this violence must come to an end.”

Following the Covenant shooting, concerned parents like Joyce banded together to advocate for gun safety measures in the Tennessee legislature. Among the organizations that emerged from the public outcry for gun reform is Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonpartisan nonprofit group.

In their statement, Voices expressed their “devastation” upon hearing about the Antioch shooting.

“We are heartbroken for the students, families, and staff affected by this tragedy,” the statement read in part. “Schools should be safe environments for children to learn and develop, free from the fear of violence. We also stand in solidarity with the families of victims and survivors of mass shootings, who face re-traumatization each time these incidents are reported.”

According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 330 school shootings reported across the U.S. last year, a figure that only trails the 349 incidents recorded in 2023.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, YSL News; Reuters