NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Scenes at Antioch High School Wednesday gave parents of Covenant School shooting survivors flashbacks.
“It’s the same kind of emotion. You get caught off guard, you immediately go to the news outlets — try to learn what’s happening,” Covenant School parent Melissa Alexander said. “You also relive what you went through that day.”
Shootings like the one at Antioch High School also bring back terrifying moments for Alexander’s son, who could hear shots ring out before the shooter passed his classroom in 2023. Wednesday’s school shooting also brings their family frustration as they’ve pushed for laws they hoped would reduce school gun violence.
“However, a lot of them don’t get passed, legislatively, and that is, I think, the frustration we feel is when is it going to be enough for children to experience a shooting in their school and then do something?” Alexander said.
Between school shootings and other gun violence, some have questioned the safety of everyday places.
“A thought that crossed my mind is: what if this is a place where a shooting happens?” Jake Gosche, who was visiting Centennial Park Thursday, said. “You never know because these things happen so suddenly, and without reason often, so it does put you on edge.”
Others said the prevalence of violence, especially in schools, can be hard to process.
“It can feel, from time to time, like you’re a little helpless to really do much because it does continue to happen over and over,” Eddy Duryea said.
With Wednesday’s suspect being just 17, Alexander said she would continue to push for laws to keep guns out of the hands of youth.
“The more people that experience this in our community, the more people are going to be traumatized,” Alexander added. “We need to stop these shootings.”
Representative Jason Powell has asked Governor Bill Lee to discuss school shootings during nthe upcoming special legislative session.
