On March 27, 2023, a former student of the Covenant School, a private academy in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, shot and killed six people at the school in yet another mass shooting in the US this year. The suspect was identified as Audrey E. Hale, a local resident and past student of the school who was undergoing treatment for an emotional illness. Upon their arrival, the police shot and killed the attacker.

According to news reports, the incident sparked widespread outrage and calls for stricter gun control laws across the country and better mental health support for individuals who may be at risk of committing similar acts. 

The shooting was one of more than 130 shootings in 2023, and members of the Community School of Davidson (CSD) community said they are tired of the dramatic increase in gun violence across the country.

“The amount of shootings is getting intense. We’re barely halfway through the year and already so many people have been killed. Something needs to be done,” said CSD student Sinclair Berry (25).

Directly following the shooting, CSD’s school resource officer, Mike Prather, released a statement providing his condolences and reassuring readers that the school had  “emergency responses” ready. He also made sure to remind students about counselors they could reach out to if they are feeling unsafe.

CSD’s  guidance department also shared thoughts.

“In general I feel like students are uneasy, and even though they know this school is a safe space, they hear about these events often enough that it is on their mind,” said Jennifer Stevens, a guidance counselor at CSD. “If a student shares with me that they are concerned, I try to remind them that we do have appropriate safety protocols, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure their safety. “ 

But despite the reassurance and resources, students say that it isn’t easy to shake their anxiety. 

“I feel like every day there’s another shooting and they’re so unpredictable, especially with the Nashville shooting it’s always in the back of my mind when I’m at school, and I don’t think I’m the only one, ” said student Jenni Lewman (‘25).