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One of the victims who lost his life in the deadly shootout at Nashville’s Covenant School on Monday was the school’s custodian, Mike Hill, 61 and the community remembers him as a hero.
On Monday, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who was also a former student at the school, opened fire and ended up killing six people in the school - three adults and three students.
The five other victims were identified as 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, who was the Head of the School, 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, who was a substitute teacher, and three 9-year-old students named William Kinney, Hallie Scruggs, and Evelyn Dieckhaus.
A pastor at Hartsville First United Methodist Church in Tennessee mentioned that although he doesn’t have the details of the shootout, he believes that Mike Hill has died as a hero and that his tragic demise has saved many lives. A GoFundMe fundraiser was also established to provide support to Hill’s family.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of a school shooting that may not be suitable for everyone. Discretion is advised.
Disclaimer: There is confusion about the shooter's gender identity and this article will use they/them pronouns while referring to the shooter.
School custodian Mike Hill lost his life in the violent shootout at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023
Mike Hill, the custodian at Nashville’s Covenant School was one of the victims who lost their lives in the fatal shootout carried out by 28-year-old Audrey Hale. A former employee of Hill remembered him and said:
“Mike’s sacrifice saved lives. I have nothing factual to base that upon. I just know what kind of guy he was.”
Pastor Tim Dunavant took to Facebook to address the incident and Mike Hill’s death, and said:
“I didn't want to say a name until it had been announced officially. And now, I'm not really sure what to say. This picture is of Mike Hill. He was the last employee that I hired when I ran the kitchen at the Covenant church and school.”
According to Dunavant, he employed Mike Hill around 13 years ago, and he was on duty when he was fatally shot by Audrey Hale. He also believes that Hill died like a hero, and said:
“Goodbye Mike, I’m going to miss those encouraging texts out of the blue from you.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser describes the late school custodian as the father of eight kids
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been initiated to raise funds to provide financial support to Mike Hill’s family. The fundraiser was launched by a group of parents who live in Nashville, and it aimed to raise $25,000. The fundraiser has successfully raised over $45,000, and more than 705 donors have donated.
According to the fundraiser post, Hill was the father of eight children. It further read:
“All money raised via this GoFundMe will be withdrawn in its entirety by Mike’s family to put towards funeral services, and expenses and to further dedicate to causes close to their hearts to facilitate healing in the Covenant and Nashville communities. Mike deserves to be remembered for his selfless act of protecting our children.”
Don Aaron, a spokesperson for the Nashville Police Department, said that apart from the six victims, nobody else was injured in the shooting. However, one law enforcement official sustained injuries from broken glass.
