NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Members of the community gathered to honor a 16-year-old killed in Wednesday’s shooting at Antioch High School.
Several people, including Nashville mayor Freddie O’Connell, spoke in South Nashville to honor the life and legacy of Josselin Corea Escalante.
“What I’ve heard is that she was kind and loving,” O’Connell said. “She was a good student. She was a futbolista — a good soccer player.”
Melissa Alvarez-Zabriskie, founder of the Tennessee Hispanic Action Network, told News 2 coming together is what her community is all about.
“Culturally, that’s just how we are,” Alvarez-Zabriskie said. “When one person is hurting, we all go and love on that person. We try to be there and hold that pain with them.”
Alvarez-Zabriskie added that even though the community has rallied together, it’s still been emotionally challenging.
“To see this happen to any kid breaks my heart and hurts me and to see it happen to one of our own — I just feel like we needed to come together and do what we do very well, which is be together [and] hold each other,” Alvarez-Zabriskie added. “…It was really difficult when I saw pictures of you and when I saw pictures of her in her quinceañera dress.”
The owner of Middle Tennessee Caskets donated a casket to Escalante’s family as they work to get her body back to Guatemala. The family has shared a GoFundMe to help with costs associated with the funeral and with sending her body back; follow this link to donate.
“Grief is often a lonely burden and I think each of us finds our own way through it, but for these next few minutes and many more moving forward, I want Josselin’s family and friends to know that you are not alone,” O’Connell added.
“The cost is so high for funerals and the casket…this just took a little bit of money off of their worry,” owner of Middle Tennessee Caskets, Jeremy Swayze, said.
Escalante’s funeral will be held on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Church of God Casa de Restauración at 3302 Nolensville Pike. It will start at 1 p.m. and the community has been invited to gather and remember Escalante’s life and legacy.
