NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A 9-year-old recognized for brightening up the neighborhood along with her Broadway-like performances within the driveway. A college custodian who liked college students like they have been his personal children. And a faculty chief who was decided to assist each little one, it doesn’t matter what challenges they confronted.
These have been a number of the victims of Monday’s rampage at The Covenant Faculty in Nashville, the place three college students and three adults have been killed.
Authorities recognized the victims on the small Christian faculty as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all age 9; faculty head Katherine Koonce, 60; substitute trainer Cynthia Peak, 61; and faculty custodian Mike Hill, 61.
Investigators have been nonetheless trying into the motive for the capturing as particulars concerning the lives it lower brief emerged.
Evelyn “was every part a 9-year-old ought to be. She was out and in of our home frequently enjoying tag,” mentioned next-door neighbor Nick Riegal, 45, whose two kids performed along with her.
There have been usually video games of hangman and laughter coming from the again porch, he mentioned. And loads of enjoyable instances through the day and evenings.
Nevertheless it was the vigorous out of doors theater performances, during which Evelyn and different neighborhood children every selected a personality from the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” that Riegal mentioned he’ll keep in mind most.
“They labored actually onerous on Hamilton,” Riegal mentioned, including that all the kids proudly discovered 20 minutes of the favored present.
Clay Stauffer, senior minister of Woodmont Christian Church, the place Evelyn’s household are members, shared an announcement on the household’s behalf:
“Our hearts are utterly damaged,” the household mentioned. “We can not imagine this has occurred. Evelyn was a shining mild on this world.”
“We recognize all of the love and help however ask for area as we grieve,” the assertion added.
Evelyn’s older sister cried at a vigil Monday night time at Woodmont. She could possibly be heard saying via tears, “I don’t wish to be an solely little one,” The Tennessean reported.
Housed inside Covenant Presbyterian Church, The Covenant Faculty serves preschoolers via sixth graders. On Tuesday morning, a mound of teddy bears and flowers positioned by mourners rested by the doorway.
Hallie, one other little one killed within the capturing, was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, a pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
She was the youngest and the one daughter out of the Scruggs’ 4 kids, mentioned Mark Davis, senior pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, the place Scruggs used to work.
“She held her personal towards three boys,” Davis mentioned with amusing. “She was all the time only a radiant little lady. And that radiance, I imagine, was Jesus in her.”
Hill, 61, the college custodian, was a “candy man” who was known as Huge Mike, in accordance with a former Covenant pastor.
“He liked the children within the faculty,” Jim Bachmann mentioned, including that Hill was like a father determine to them. “The children liked him too.”
Bachmann mentioned Hill was typically a greeter for church companies at Stephens Valley Church in Nashville, the place Bachmann is now the senior pastor.
“When he was greeting, he dressed similar to he was going to fulfill the president,” Bachmann mentioned, including Hill would put on a swimsuit and tie and his sneakers polished.
Bachmann’s spouse, Kristen, added that Hill would cease what he was doing and provide you with a hug as quickly as you walked within the door.
“As a result of that’s how he handled everyone,” she mentioned.
Hill’s household mentioned in an announcement that Hill was the daddy of seven kids and had 14 grandchildren. The assertion mentioned they “are so grateful that Michael was beloved by the school and college students who crammed him with pleasure for 14 years.”
Peak, the substitute trainer who was killed, graduated from Texas Christian College in 1983, a spokesperson for the faculty mentioned Tuesday. Louisiana state Rep. Charles Anthony Owen grew up in Leesville, Louisiana, with Peak.
The world is “lacking a candy soul who cared about individuals,” Owen mentioned. “She was a religious follower of the Lord, Jesus. She was very outgoing, however light in her religion.”
Koonce, Covenant’s head of college, was described by former college students as a champion to all kids, whether or not they confronted studying difficulties or have been gifted and wanted additional challenges.
Barrett Severance, 33, credited Koonce with serving to him to graduate highschool. He knew Koonce when she labored at Christ Presbyterian Academy, a small personal Christian faculty he attended in Nashville.
“I used to be not a terrific pupil, so I noticed Katherine earlier than faculty and after faculty and within the summers in between. She fought for her college students oftentimes after we stop combating for ourselves,” he mentioned. “I positively credit score my commencement date to her not giving up on me.”
One other former pupil, Robert Homosexual, additionally knew Koonce at Christ Presbyterian Academy, which he attended from 2000 to 2006.
“She liked individuals and college students and kids and households in a approach that she would describe as ‘loving them via God’s eyes,’” he mentioned.
On its Fb web page on Tuesday, The Covenant Faculty mentioned the neighborhood is “in shock popping out of the phobia that shattered our faculty and church.” Earlier posts present snapshots of scholars smiling on area journeys, performing in Christmas performs and celebrating basketball wins.
Homosexual mentioned he felt there have been nonetheless classes he might study from Koonce as he processed the information of her demise.
“I actually wish to study from her spirit of serving individuals with kindness,” he mentioned, “How can we reply in love and in care for each single member of our Nashville neighborhood? I feel that’s one of the simplest ways to honor her reminiscence.”
Deon Hampton reported from Nashville and Elizabeth Chuck from New York. Marlene Lenthang, Antonio Planas and Daniella Silva in New York and Jake Lubbehusen in Washington contributed reporting.
