Remembering the victims: Chief of Police John Drake looks at memorial items left at the entrance of The Covenant School on March 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee before a press briefing. According to reports, three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter on Monday. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Only hours after the shooting in Nashville’s The Covenant School left six people and the shooter dead, the identities of the victims were released.
But the day after the nation was rocked by this latest round of violence, we are learning more about who the three 9-year-olds and three adults who became the most recent victims of gun violence.
The victims of Monday’s shooting are:
Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
Hallie Scruggs, 9
William Kinney, 9
Dr. Katherine Koonce, 60
Cynthia Peak, 61
Mike Hill, 61
Evelyn Dieckhaus
Evelyn Dieckhaus was one of the three 9-year-old children who were students at the primary school that had around 210 students and 40 staff members.
WKRN reported that her family released a statement saying: “Our hearts are completely broken. We cannot believe this happened. Evelyn was a shining light in the world. We appreciate all the love and support but ask for space as we grieve.”
Hallie Scruggs was another of the 9-year-old children gunned down. Her father, Chad Scruggs, is listed as the Senior Pastor at the church where his daughter died.
The family released a statement saying: “We are heartbroken. She was such a gift. Through tears we trust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again,” WKRN reported.
Chad Scruggs was previously a pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas. That church also released a statement, according to CNN.
“We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie,” Pastor Mark Davis said. “Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need.”
Friends of the Kinney family remembered William, known as Will, as “unfailingly kind, gentle when the situation called for it, quick to laugh, and always inclusive of others,” according to a verified GoFundMe campaign and the Tennessean.
“Our friends are walking through the unimaginable...losing their son at the Covenant School shooting,” family friend Rachael Freitas wrote on GoFundMe. “(Will) loved his sisters, adored his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and was always excited to host friends of every age. Sweet Will knew no strangers, and our hearts our broken for his family as they try to find their way forward.”
The family and friends asked for privacy in the wake of Monday’s shooting.
— Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Mike Hill
Mike Hill was the school’s custodian, CNN reported.
His family released a statement Tuesday, thanking the community for its thoughts and prayers.
“We would like to thank the Nashville community for all the continued thoughts and prayers. As we grieve and try to grasp any sense of understanding of why this happened, we continue to ask for support. We pray for the Covenant School and are so grateful that Michael was beloved by the faculty and students who filled him with joy for 14 years,” his family said, according to WSMV.
He had seven children and 14 grandchildren, the television station reported.
Katherine Koonce was the school’s director. On the school’s website, she said, “As we capture our children’s attention and their minds for learning, we also want to capture their hearts in relationships that challenge their thinking and help them learn critical skills. Our graduates attend the finest schools in the Nashville area, where they not only excel academically, but also act with character that comes from authentic faith in Jesus.”
Koonce was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the Shreveport Times. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday that she had long been a family friend after she and his wife, Maria, taught together years earlier. Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher who also died in Monday’s shooting, also worked with Koonce and Maria Lee, the governor said.
Head of school: Katherine Koonce was the head of The Covenant School in Nashville. (The Covenant School)
Cynthia Peak
Cynthia Peak was working as a substitute teacher when she was shot and killed at The Covenant School, according to The Associated Press. Peak’s brother, Bill Broyles, told the Shreveport Times that she “had an unwavering faith in Christ. She was a strong believer. She would want a positive approach on this to help God’s kingdom on earth.”
Friend Chuck Owen told the AP that he grew up in Leesville, Louisiana, with Peak. He described her as “a sweet person from a sweet family.”
“She told me that she got saved in college and that God’s love changed her life,” Owen said, according to the AP.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Peak had been close friends with his wife, Maria.
“Cindy was supposed to come over to have dinner with Maria last night after she filled in as a substitute teacher yesterday at Covenant,” Lee said in a recorded statement posted on social media. “Cindy and Maria and Katherine Koonce were all teachers at the same school and had been family friends for decades.”
— Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The Covenant School A police officer walks by an entrance to The Covenant School after a shooting in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP Photo/John Amis) (JOHN AMIS/AP)
The Covenant School A family leaves with their children from a reunification site in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 27, 2023. Officials say several children were killed in a shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. The suspect is dead after a confrontation with police. (AP Photo/John Amis) (John Amis/AP)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: Children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School A police crime scene tape is seen at the entrance to Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. Monday, March 27, 2023. Officials say several children were killed in a shooting at the private Christian grade school in Nashville. The suspect is dead after a confrontation with police. (AP Photo/John Amis) (JOHN AMIS/AP)
The Covenant School Children from The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tenn., hold hands as they are taken to a reunification site at the Woodmont Baptist Church after a deadly shooting at their school on Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise) (Jonathan Mattise/AP)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School A photograph released by Nashville police shows the doorway where the shooter entered The Covenant School. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)
The Covenant School A photo provided by Nashville police shows how Audrey Hale gained entrance to The Covenant School by shooting through the glass doors. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)
The Covenant School Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, drove this Honda Fit to the Covenant Church/school campus and parked at the site. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: A parent walks with their kids from Woodmont Baptist Church where children were reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (Seth Herald/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: People attend a vigil at Woodmont Christian for those who were killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (Seth Herald/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 28: Mourners pray at the entrance of The Covenant School on March 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to reports, three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter on Monday. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: A U.S. Marshal stands outside of Woodmont Baptist Church while waiting for children to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 28: Chief of Police John Drake is prayed for at the entrance of The Covenant School on March 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee before a press briefing. According to reports, three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter on Monday. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (Seth Herald/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: People attend a vigil at Woodmont Christian for those who were killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (Seth Herald/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: A parent walks with their child from Woodmont Baptist Church where children were reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: Law enforcement officers stand outside of Woodmont Baptist Church while waiting for children to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 28: Chief of Police John Drake looks at memorial items left at the entrance of The Covenant School on March 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee before a press briefing. According to reports, three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter on Monday. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 28: Chief of Police John Drake delivers a press briefing at the entrance of The Covenant School on March 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to reports, three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter on Monday. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 28: Mourners listen as Chief of Police John Drake delivers a press briefing at the entrance of The Covenant School on March 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to reports, three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter on Monday. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (Seth Herald/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: People attend a vigil at Woodmont Christian for those who were killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)
The Covenant School NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 27: A parent walks with their child from Woodmont Baptist Church where children were reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to initial reports, three students and three adults were killed by the shooter, a 28-year-old woman. The shooter was killed by police responding to the scene. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/Getty Images)