Tennessee Gov. Invoice Lee (R) stated two of the lecturers killed within the mass taking pictures at The Covenant College in Nashville on Monday had been longtime circle of relatives pals.
In a video shared on Twitter, Lee stated Cynthia Height used to be because of have dinner along with his spouse, Maria Lee, on Monday evening.
However Height used to be killed whilst replace instructing on the college. Headteacher Katherine Koonce, additionally shot useless, used to be a yearslong buddy too, he added.
“Maria awoke this morning with out one in every of her perfect pals, Cindy Height,” the GOP governor stated. “Cindy and Maria and Katherine Koonce had been all lecturers on the similar college and feature been circle of relatives pals for many years.”
Lee mourned the sufferers of the “horrific act of violence” via, in step with police, a 28-year-old transgender former pupil who used to be shot useless via officials.
College custodian Michael Hill and 9-year-old scholars Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney had been additionally killed in what Lee known as a “tragedy past comprehension.”
Lee said it used to be “an excessively tough second” however prompt it wasn’t the time to behave at the violence, simply presently.
“I take into account that there may be ache, I perceive the desperation to have solutions, to position blame, to argue about an answer that might save you this terrible tragedy,” he stated. “There’ll come a time to invite how an individual may do that. There’ll come a time to talk about and debate coverage, however this isn’t a time for hate or rage. That won’t unravel or heal.”
“Everyone seems to be hurting. Everybody,” Lee endured. “Remembering that as we grieve and we stroll in combination would be the means we honor those that we misplaced. We will all agree on something, that each human existence has nice worth and we will be able to act to stop this from going down once more.”
“There’s a transparent need in all folks, whether or not we agree at the motion steps or now not, that we will have to paintings to seek out tactics to give protection to in opposition to evil,” he added.
Lee didn’t speak about attainable measures, corresponding to gun regulate, in his deal with.
As a substitute, he known as on folks to wish for everybody suffering from the bloodbath.
“Prayer is the very first thing we must do however it’s now not the one factor,” he stated, claiming legislation enforcement and training officers had “for years” labored to reinforce college protection, including it used to be a battle “in opposition to evil itself.”