NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway is defending her court's approach to juvenile crime following the release of the Antioch High School shooter's juvenile records.
The judge would not comment on Soloman Henderson's records "out of deep respect for the families of both the victim and Mr. Henderson," but others had plenty to say.
Victim's advocate Verna Wyatt said juvenile court either missed or ignored obvious red flags about Henderson.
"I think he was an accident waiting to happen. A horrible accident, and it did happen," said Wyatt, who is co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims.
On Jan. 22, Soloman Henderson, 17, fired 10 shots inside the Antioch High School cafeteria.
He killed 16-year-old Dayana Escalante before shooting himself.
His newly released juvenile records show juvenile court was well aware of him.
In fact, on the day of the shooting Henderson signed paperwork promising not to "use or possess" ... "guns ammunition or knives."
He signed the paperwork after being put on probation for bringing a box cutter to school three months earlier.
Records show he threatened a female student after she said hi to him.
The police narrative claims he used a racial slur and told school officials he would "cut anyone that walks up on him."
Despite that, he was back in school two days later.
The court sentenced him to probation and offered judicial diversion — which means if he stayed out of trouble — his record would be wiped clean.
"I think there might be a place for judicial diversion, but not when somebody is threatening somebody with a lethal weapon," Wyatt said.
Wyatt was even more surprised that Henderson had been arrested a year before the box cutter incident.
In 2023, records show he was charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor after police say he was downloading child porn from the internet. Records show he was released to his parents with restrictions, including no use of social media, cell phones or laptops — except for schoolwork.
"We're not helping these kids. Nobody helped Soloman," Wyatt said.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates has questioned the catch and release, revolving door nature of Davidson County's juvenile court for years.
In 2019, our Broken series highlighted case after case in which children who went on to commit murder, had been arrested and released by juvenile court.
We found that of the 36 kids charged with homicide in the prior three years, two-thirds had criminal records that should have set off alarms.
"They do not think there are any consequences because they are released so fast," said Lt. Blaine Whited with Metro Police back in 2019.
For example, Jamarius Hill, 16, was arrested for the murder of Debrianah Begley, 16, who was shot outside her home in 2017.
Hill was first arrested at age 12 for theft.
At age 14, he was arrested for handgun possession and evading arrest.
At age 15, he pulled off a carjacking and was charged with aggravated robbery, auto theft, and handgun possession. He was put on intensive probation.
Within six months, he was arrested twice more.
And six months after that, Debrianah was murdered.
Judge Calloway's court said terms like "'catch and release' are inaccurate and do not reflect how juvenile matters are adjudicated."
Judge Calloway said in the 2019 Broken series that she tries to provide interventions to give kids a chance to become productive members of society and not inmates locked in adult prisons for life.
"Locking them up is not always the best answer," Judge Calloway said in 2019.
"Those that get locked up usually are the ones that are least likely to graduate. The ones that get locked up are the ones that are more likely to end up in the adult system," Judge Calloway said.
After our Broken series aired, the Tennessee General Assembly changed the law and allowed juvenile court judges to detain juveniles arrested for stealing cars, but the law left it to the judge's discretion.
Lawmakers this year were so upset when they saw the criminal history of the Antioch High School shooter that they passed a law to allow his records to become public.
"If someone goes into a school and they kill a child, every single aspect of their background should be looked at by all of us," Majority Leader Rep. William Lamberth, (R-Portland), said.
Former Juvenile Court Judge Betty Adams Green, who was the judge from 1998-2014, supported the release of the Antioch shooter's records.
"The charges are bad and obviously scream for help," Green said.
But Judge Green, who was more willing to detain juveniles than Judge Calloway has been, would not criticize how Judge Calloway handled the case or her use of judicial diversion for the box-cutter charge.
"It could have been that a witness was not willing to testify so, if you went to court, you would get nothing," Green said.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked, "Do you think things are worse now than when you were judge?"
Judge Green responded, "The money has always been tight. I think it's even tighter now. You don't work a miracle without a little funding to get that miracle done."
But victim's advocate Verna Wyatt said Henderson's case is yet another wake-up call and a failure to stop or help a child the system knew too well.
"The people that are in power are the people who are making the decisions about what to do with Soloman. They didn't help Soloman, and they certainly didn't help the little girl who was murdered that day," Wyatt said.
Metro police released the following juvenile arrest numbers for the last year between May 2024 and May 2025.
This is what's happened:
- 1,990 juvenile arrests.
- 554 of the arrests included at least one felony charge.
- 247 juveniles were arrested two or more times.
Here is the full statement from Davidson County Juvenile Court when we asked for an interview:
"Out of deep respect for the families of both the victim and Mr. Henderson, Judge Calloway has declined to participate in interviews specifically addressing Mr. Henderson’s court history. While we understand the public’s interest in additional context, we remain committed to honoring the dignity and privacy of all families impacted by this tragedy.
Without commenting on the specifics of Mr. Henderson’s case, it is important to clarify that all youth who come before the court are assessed using evidence-based tools that help inform judicial decision-making. The court’s operations are grounded in nationally recognized best practices and are guided by the statutory mandate outlined in TCA § 37-1-101. This statute directs juvenile courts, where appropriate, to remove the taint of criminality from youth and to provide treatment, training, and rehabilitation in its place.
Each case is evaluated individually with careful consideration of the youth’s risk, needs, and the offense committed. The court's approach balances public safety, accountability, and the rehabilitation of young people, all within the framework of Tennessee law and a commitment to data-informed, research-backed practices.
We would also like to respectfully clarify that terms such as “second chances” or “catch and release” are inaccurate and do not reflect how juvenile matters are adjudicated. Every case undergoes thorough review based on its unique facts, applicable legal standards, and what is in the best interest of both the youth and the broader community."
