NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — News 2 has obtained audio records of 911 calls that were made from students and family members after a 17-year-old opened fire in the cafeteria of Antioch High School on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Call 1: “We heard a pop,” said one student who called 911 to report the incident. “I don’t know exactly if it was a gun but everybody started running out.”
A surge of calls were made just after 11 a.m. after Solomon Henderson fired at least 10 shots in the cafeteria, resulting in the death of 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and leaving another student injured.
Caller 2: “I’m a high school student at Antioch High School and I was just in lunch and all the sudden four gunshots just rang off,” described another student in a 911 call. “It was inside the school, it was in lunch. Right now I’m outside. It’s a lot of people running as well. I think someone was struck but I’m not sure. All I know is I heard gunshots and I just ran out running.”
Additional calls released came from family members who dialed 911 to report the incident after receiving calls from their loved ones inside the school.
Caller 3: “I was just calling to make sure you guys know of the shooting at Antioch High School. My little sister said they were shooting in the cafeteria where she was at.”
911: “How old is your sister?”
Caller 3: “She’s 17 years old.
911: “Has she been shot?”
Caller 3: “No, she’s fine right now but she said the shooter was in the cafeteria where she was at.”
911: Did she tell you what the shooter looked like?
Caller 3: “No, she couldn’t see him. She was hiding and was just calling to tell me. I told her to just hide and stay calm and I was going to call the police.”
A few minutes after that call, a mother of a student called 911 to report what her son had told her about the incident.
Caller 4: “My son said they’re shooting in Antioch High School! I’m phone with him right now, please hurry!”
911: “Is he hurt?”
Caller 4: “He’s not hurt, he’s running!”
911: “Are you able to confirm with him that he’s in a safe place?”
Caller 4: “He’s outside of the school! I’m talking to him with my other phone. He’s outside the school!”
The Victim
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) identified the victim as 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante.
Her peers described her as a good girl who enjoyed laughing with her friends, and as someone everyone enjoyed being around.
“She was a very smart and fun girl to be around with. She was very pretty. Everybody liked being around her because of her energy. She had very good things to say about other people. She was very outgoing,” one student told News 2.
A funeral was held for Escalante on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Church of God Casa de Restauración. Escalante’s family set up a GoFundMe to help with costs associated with the funeral and with sending her body back to Guatemala.
Solomon Henderson
Solomon Henderson reportedly fired at least 10 shots from a nine-millimeter pistol within 17 seconds in the cafeteria of the high school. Officials reported Henderson’s gun was loaded with nine rounds when it was recovered by police, adding that a pistol magazine with seven rounds was also recovered from the cafeteria floor.
After the shooting, detectives said they found two documents that are believed to have been created by Henderson on non-traditional websites — one 51 pages in length, while the other was 288 pages.
ABC News reported “the suspected shooter praised mass shooters and showed an affinity for extremist views.” News 2 interviewed a man who claimed Henderson “pulled out a knife” on his niece.
The MNPD confirmed two guns were removed from Henderson’s home in 2023 but were unable to share what led to the guns being located.
Students return to school
Antioch High is set to reopen to students on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The school will also pilot a new Evolv weapon detection system to increase safety with minimal disruptions, according to officials.
At least 20 bus drivers held a convoy Monday morning as a way to show they stand with Antioch, the students, teachers and faculty.
According to an MNPS spokesperson, the school district plans to deploy counseling staff, social workers, mental-health counselors and trauma-informed specialists to support school-based staff.
