NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Wednesday marks 6 months since the tragic Covenant School shooting that killed six people — three children and three staff members.
NewsChannel 5 wanted to take a look back at where we stand now in terms of how the school is doing and what has been done to prevent a shooting like this from happening again.
In regards to the school, it has been closed since the shooting that happened on March 27th. Students have been attending school at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ this fall.
As for preventing future school shootings, the Covenant school tragedy sparked protests at the Capitol and pushed lawmakers to have to discuss school and gun safety.
The shooting happened while lawmakers were in session, and although new laws on school safety passed, such as requiring all exterior doors at schools to be locked, Governor Bill Lee called for a special session on public safety in August.
Covenant parents were present throughout the special session that lasted over a week.
Only one bill passed regarding firearm safety — the state will now provide free gun locks.
Covenant parents did not hide their disappointment that no other significant gun laws passed, but said they will keep pushing lawmakers in the 2024 general assembly.
One positive thing this tragedy really revealed was how the community in Nashville and beyond really came together to support those directly impacted by the shooting.
The Covenant School and the Covenant Presbyterian Church launched their "a thousand thank yous" campaign, using "thank you" stencils to temporarily spray paint the words around the city. People can also stay on the lookout for future billboards saying thank you from the school and finding signs of gratitude in other ways. The Covenant community said they want Nashvillians to see these signs and know that their support is recognized.
Red yard signs that say "I stand with Covenant" and red and black ribbons tied on mailboxes are still prominent in the Green Hills neighborhood where the school is located and in other neighborhoods all over Nashville.
