ANTIOCH, TN - Tragedy struck the Antioch High School in the Nashville area on Wednesday morning when a student armed with a pistol killed a 16-year-old girl and injured another, just before shooting himself. Later that night the community came together, holding a vigil to remember and honor the victim who was fatally wounded by another student and the families of all involved.
Nashville Metro Police continue to interview witnesses, friends and family of the alleged shooter who killed one student and injured a second before turning the gun on himself. CBS News Correspondent Janet Shamlian reported… 16-Year-old Josselin Corea Escalante was fatally wounded and the 17-year-old student who was grazed in the arm by a bullet was treated and released from Vanderbilt Medical Center.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is working with the Metro Police Department to further examine the shooting and uncover evidence as to why the 17-year-old suspect, identified as Solomon Henderson, killed one student before turning the gun on himself. CBS’ Anna Schecter reported…
While detectives work to dig deeper into the life of the suspect, a large number of anti-gun activist are using the tragedy as a platform… The Mayor of Nashville also focused on gun violence when making statements about the situation… One resident, who wished not to be named or recorded on audio stated, “Stop insulting the values and integrity of Tennesseans when tragedy occurs by focusing on guns, instead of the importance of mental wellbeing and what we need to do as a society to help families that have children who are seriously struggling with their mental health and who need psychological services that should be further offered within our schools.”
When examining the number of firearm related deaths across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) places the Volunteer State close to the bottom of the list. Tennessee ranks at number 39 in the Firearm Mortality Study that indicates there are 20.5 deaths tied to firearms per every 100-thousand residents (50 being the highest amount of deaths and 1 the least).
Antioch High School will remain CLOSED on both Thursday and Friday (01/23 and 01/24/25) to give students and staff time to grieve, according to the Metro Nashville Public Schools. In a statement released by the schools, officials have turned a community center into a support center for those impacted by the incident… “MNPS will be using the Southeast Community Center, 5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway, to provide resources and support for staff, students, and families at Antioch High. Grief counseling, hot meals, and food boxes will be provided.”
Dr. Adrienne Battle, the Director of the Metro Nashville School System stated, “My heart goes out to the families of our students as they face unimaginable loss. I want to thank the school staff who quickly and heroically followed emergency protocols, potentially preventing further harm, as well as the Metro Nashville Police Department and Nashville Fire Department for their swift and urgent response.”
Nashville Metro Police Released the Following Update: Homicide Unit detectives along with their law enforcement partners in the MNPD and federal/state agencies are examining very concerning on-line writings and social media posts connected to 17-year-old Solomon Henderson as they work to establish the motive behind Henderson’s gunfire this morning in Antioch High School’s cafeteria. Sixteen-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante was fatally wounded. A 17-year-old male student was grazed in the arm. He has been treated and released from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Henderson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation to this point has not established a connection between Henderson and the two shooting victims. It may be that they were struck by his random gunfire in the cafeteria.
The two school resource officers assigned to Antioch High School were in another part of the building when the gunfire started. They rushed to the cafeteria and arrived just after Henderson killed himself.
“On behalf of this entire police department, I extend our deep condolences to Antioch High students, parents, and staff,” Chief John Drake said. “Our officers and counselors will work to be part of the healing process in the days and weeks ahead.”
As to questions concerning any prior police interaction with Henderson, the MNPD will not be at liberty to address those as Tennessee law protects juvenile information in most law enforcement matters.
If you had a student who was at the Metro School when the incident occurred, counseling services are available. There is also help for friends and family impacted by the incident, which can all be found in the information that has been posted by the Metro Police Department (Click HERE).
More Information from the Firearm Mortality Study Released by the CDC:
- According to the CDC Firearm Mortality study, Mississippi has the highest number of firearm injury deaths in the nation. There, the number of firearm deaths is calculated to be 29.6 persons per every 100,000 residents. Louisiana, ranking at number 49 on the list, is not far behind the Magnolia State. The CDC reports 28.2 firearm related deaths per every 100,000 residents. New Mexico is ranked at number 48 with 27.3 firearm deaths per every 100,000 residents.
- The state with the fewest amount of firearm related deaths in the country is Rhode Island, placing them at the number 1 position. There, the CDC confirms 3.1 firearm injury deaths per every 100,000 residents. Massachusetts is ranked at number 2 with 3.7 firearm deaths per every 100,000 residents. At number 3 is Hawaii, where a total of 4.5 firearm injury deaths happen per every 100,000 residents.
- In sheer numbers, the state with the highest amount of death by firearm cases is Texas, where 4,630 deaths were recorded in the CDC’s most recent study. That number is not adjusted to the total population count, as the Lone Star State’s firearm death to population count lands Texas at number 25 on the list with 15.3 firearm deaths per every 100,000 residents. California had the second largest number of firearm deaths in the nation with 3,484 recorded in the CDC’s study period - that calculates to 8.6 deaths per every 100,000 residents, which ranks the Golden State at number 7 on the list of firearm mortality (1 = least amount of deaths per every 100,000 residents)
