(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — The six victims of a fatal shooting at a private Christian elementary school in Tennessee’s capital city have been identified by police.
Three students and three staff members were shot and killed at the Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Mike Hill, 61; William Kinney, 9; Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hallie Scruggs, 9.
Here’s what we know about the slain so far:
Mike Hill, 61
Mike Hill was a custodian at the Covenant School, according to police.
In a statement to ABC News, Hill’s family thanked the 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,” the family said. “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.”
Hill’s family said he was a father of seven children — Marquita Oglesby, Brittany Hill, Shakita Dobbins, Ebony Smith, Joshua Smith, Tawana Smith Garner and Jeremy Smith — and had 14 grandchildren.
“He liked to cook and spend time with family,” they said.
Katherine Koonce, 60
Katherine Koonce was the head of the Covenant School, according to police.
Cynthia Peak, 61
Cynthia Peak was a substitute teacher at the Covenant School, according to police.
In a statement to ABC News, her family said their “hearts are broken,” confirming the loss “of our beloved Cindy Peak.”
“Cindy was a pillar of the community, and a teacher beloved by all her students,” her family said. “Her favorite roles in life were being a mom to her three children, a wife to her husband, and an educator to students.”
“We will never stop missing her,” the family said. “We are grateful for the hope of Heaven. She never wavered in her faith and we know she is wrapped in the arms of Jesus. Our hearts go out to all the victims’ families as we grieve this horrific tragedy.”
Hallie Scruggs, 9
Hallie Scruggs was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, the senior pastor at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, which shares a location with the Covenant School.
The school was founded in 2001 as a ministry of the church, according to the school’s website.
Chad Scruggs described his daughter as “such a gift.”
“We are heartbroken,” he told ABC News in a statement. “Through tears we trust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again.”
Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
Evelyn Dieckhaus was a third-grader at the Covenant School.
“Our hearts are completely broken,” the Dieckhaus family said in a statement. “We cannot believe this has happened. Evelyn was a shining light in this world. We appreciate all the love and support but ask for space as we grieve.”
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