It was a day of mourning and a day of remembrance for Nashville and Tennesse residents. Thousands gathered to honor the victims of the Covenant School Shooting.
Wednesday marked a year since shooter Audrey Hale killed six at Covenant School. In remembrance of the victims, several thousand people formed a human chain from Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt to the state capitol, according to WBALTV. Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonprofit, organized the event to remember the victims. The event also asked for greater gun reform as well.
The human chain stretched across Music City on Wednesday with strangers interlocking their arms. In total, Hale killed three students as well as three staff members in the shooting. Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill were the victims. Several people also carried signs and wore red (the color of the school). Some signs read "What's More Important?", "NOT ONE MORE" as well as "End Gun Violence."
Nashville Residents Link Arms
Abby McLean, a parent who had children attending the school, explained the importance of the event. Speaking with The Tennessean, McLean said the community really came together in the past year. "The Covenant community really had to link arms physically, emotionally and mentally this past year," McLean said.
Centennial Park became the site of the memorial. Volunteers lined the stage at the park with cutouts representing all of the Covenant students, families, as well as the various staff members. McLean played a role in helping to develop the idea for the memorial. Hundreds of volunteers gathered at the park while more gathered elsewhere. They all linked arms.
In addition to a moment of silence, music played a crucial role in the memorial. Ketch Secor, of Old Crow Medicine Show, and Molly Tuttle both gave a heart wrenching performance of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." That song can draw tears on the best of occasions. Likewise, guitarist Grace Bowers performed "This Little Light of Mine" as well.
Speaking with the outlet, Bowers hopes that further tragedies like what happened at Covenant don't happen again.
"I haven't seen a lot of change, and I think we need to keep doing things like this to bring more awareness to it," Bowers said. "There needs to be more education about gun safety. I hope that someone who can make change starts to listen."
