Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said this week that his three children attend The Covenant School and were at the school when a shooter opened fire on six people last week.
“A week ago, at 10:28 am, I received the most terrifying call a parent could imagine: a shooter was at the school of my three children,” Leatherwood wrote on Twitter this week. “While our family is safe now, the trauma from that day and the memories of six friends, classmates, leaders, and servants will be with us for the rest of our lives.”
While our family is safe now, the trauma from that day & the memories of six friends, classmates, leaders, & servants will be with us for the rest of our lives.
— Brent Leatherwood (@LeatherwoodERLC) April 3, 2023
The shooter killed six: Evelyn Dieckhaus (9), William Kinney (9), Hallie Scruggs (9), custodian Mike Hill (61), substitute teacher Cynthia Peak (61), and Head of the School Katherine Koonce (60).
“While the last week has altered our story, it has not changed our trajectory. God’s love endures; and we hold fast to that truth,” Leatherwood said. “3/27 was the darkest day of our lives, yet His mercies are immeasurably more.”
While the last week has altered our story, it has not changed our trajectory: God’s love endures; and we hold fast to that truth.
— Brent Leatherwood (@LeatherwoodERLC) April 3, 2023
3/27 was the darkest day of our lives, yet His mercies are immeasurably more.
According to ChruchLeaders.com, Leatherwood said his family is “forever indebted” to the first responders who “acted with incredible bravery” on the day of the shooting.
“Covenant will come back. There’s too much light there and too many people leaning in for it to be otherwise,” Leatherwood said. “Darkness never prevails against the light.
“We’ve become numb to these tragedies as a society,” Leatherwood said. “Defenseless, innocent lives being taken. We should never accept this as a reality. We need to commit ourselves to finding an answer to this epidemic and not rest until it is solved. Count me as a solution seeker on this.”
• We’ve become numb to these tragedies as a society. Defenseless, innocent lives being taken.
— Brent Leatherwood (@LeatherwoodERLC) April 3, 2023
We should never accept this as a reality. We need to commit ourselves to finding an answer to this epidemic and not rest until it is solved. Count me as a solution seeker on this.
The shooter was identified as Audrey Hale, 28, a former student at the school. Nashville police chief John Drake said the shooter “identified as transgender.”
Hale was shot to death by Officer Rex Englebert and Officer Michael Callazo of the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Related:
What We Know About the Covenant School Shooting Victims and Attacker
Tenn. Gov. Tells Grieving State: 'What Is Meant for Evil Can Be Turned for Good'
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Seth Herald/Stringer
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
