Sheryl Crow, Margo Price and first lady Jill Biden among mourners at citywide vigil for Nashville shooting victims
A candlelight vigil was held on Wednesday night for the six victims of the shooting at The Covenant School, which was attended by city leaders, musicians, first lady Jill Biden, as well as the family and friends of the victims.
It was held outside of a memorial at The Covenant School, which has become a place of comfort for some.
"You can feel the sadness in the city right now, it's really overwhelming," Nicole Zielinski, who attended the vigil said.
During the event, Sheryl Crow, Margo Price and Ketch Secor performed and each of them expressed their support for gun regulation as well as sadness for the city in the wake of the tragedy.
"I lift my voice up to Nashville, Tennessee," Crow sang.
Following the shooting, President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have once again called for stricter gun control laws, while Republicans have suggested that it's premature to consider legislative action to address gun violence.
The first lady is the first representative from the White House to visit Nashville. Prior to attending the vigil, she paid her respects at the memorial outside the school, where she paused at each victim's photo and left flowers.
Police body camera footage captured officers responding to the shooting and successfully taking down the assailant. The officers who bravely ran toward the gunfire to stop the shooter were acknowledged and recognized for their bravery during the vigil.
"We are grateful to the team of officers who rushed into that school building without hesitation Monday morning to stop the threat," police chief John Drake said at the vigil.
Three children, all 9 years old, were killed, as were three adults who worked at the school. The students were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, and the adult victims were identified as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61. Hill was a custodian, Peak worked as a substitute teacher and Koonce was listed as the head of The Covenant School.
Koonce's body was discovered just outside her office by the police officers. Russ Pulley, a city council member representing Covenant's district, said Koontz heard the gunshots, abruptly ended a Zoom call, and immediately left her office.
Pulley said that staff members lost their lives while trying to protect the children.
"I would absolutely expect that from Katherine Koonce and from principals. That's what educators and administrators do. They protect their children," Pulley said.