NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A gunman opened fire inside Antioch High School's cafeteria on Jan. 22, 2025, killing 16-year-old student Josselin "Dayana" Corea Escalante and injuring another before turning the gun on himself.
The shooting sent more than 2,000 students, teachers and staff into chaos as they evacuated the building. Families rushed to Ascension St. Thomas Medical Pavilion, where buses transported students away from the scene.
Senior Caiden Taylor was among those who witnessed the violence firsthand.
"There was a crowd, people are getting trampled over. I got trampled over getting out of there," Taylor said. "The only thing was to go out to my car. Wait for my brother," Taylor expressed frustration over the senseless violence. "I'm upset people lost their lives, especially for the person who got shot. It shouldn't happen to not go home. More parents are upset," Taylor said. "Just for all this to happen. I think it's selfish, very selfish."
Tiffany Brooks abandoned her car and ran toward the school after receiving a call from her granddaughter.
"She just called and said 'Mama T, they're shooting,'" Brooks said.
Brooks waited on a hillside, desperate to see her granddaughter safe.
"Just wanna see her, just need to see her. I need to know she's in one piece, that's all I need to do now," Brooks said.
Even in her relief, Brooks felt pain for other families who wouldn't experience the same reunion.
"Other parents, they're not gonna be able to do that," Brooks said. "Tonight, when it's all over with, I'll lay in the bed, and I'll cry because I can't cry right now. I have to make sure everyone's good."
Senior Candace Huff was just feet away from the shooter during the attack.
"I saw him on the ground. I was in the line stuck with my friend. I was basically stuck in the school for a while before they let us leave," Huff said. "We left, and we didn't turn back."
The trauma left lasting effects on Huff.
"I didn't know if we were next, or if I just didn't know. I was freaking out, hyperventilating, everything stressed, overwhelming, my whole world was crumbling apart in my hands," Huff said. "I didn't have my phone, so I can't call my mom, and so I was really just, there."
That evening, hundreds gathered at Hamilton Church and United Family Fellowship seeking comfort through prayer and community support.
"Be safe, look out for yourself and for others too. But if you can't do it for yourself, if anything, do it for yourself, our family," Huff said.
The deepest grief belonged to the family of Escalante, who never made it home. Her father said the daily reminders of how much she was loved now serve as memories.
"It's not fair," her father said.
Her aunt, Maria, described the quiet, kind teenager who loved soccer, earned good grades and adored her family.
"Ay dios mío mi niña," Maria said. "Oh God, she was my girl."
Metro Nashville Schools settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Escalante's family last month. The district has enhanced security measures across campuses, including installing weapons detection systems at every high school and several middle schools.
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