Cynthia Peak: Gov Bill Lee reveals Nashville school shooting victim was best friends with his wife Maria
NASHVILLE, TENESSEE: Governor Bill Lee claimed in a recent video on Twitter that his wife, Maria Lee, was best friends with one of the victims of the Covenant School shooting, Cynthia Peak. The school shooting sent shockwaves as the tragic incident took the lives of six people including three children.
The school shooter was identified as Audrey Hale. The 28-year-old shooter who was born biologically female identifies as transgender and prefers he/him pronouns. Along with Cynthia Peak, the victims of the deadly shooting were identified as Mike Hill, Dr Katherine Koonce, William Kinney, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and Hallie Scruggs. Lee said in the video, “Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends, Cindy Peak."
RELATED ARTICLES
What did Governor Bill Lee explain in the video?
He said in the video, "Cindy was supposed to come over to have dinner with Maria last night after she filled in as a substitute teacher yesterday at Covenant. Cindy and Maria and Katherine Koonce were all teachers at the same school and had been family friends for decades." He further added, “All of Tennessee was hurt yesterday, but some parents woke up without children and children woke up without parents, without teachers. And spouses woke up without their loved ones." He said in the video posted to Twitter, "Prayer is the first thing we should do, but it’s not the only thing. Here will come a time to ask how a person can do this. There will come a time to discuss and debate policy, but this is not a time for hate or rage — that will not resolve or heal."
What happened at The Covenant School yesterday was a tragedy beyond comprehension. I want to speak directly to Tennesseans about the way forward. pic.twitter.com/3poMgYgxeq
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) March 28, 2023
Who was Cynthia Peak?
Peak was a substitute teacher at The Covenant School. In a Facebook post written by her long-time friend, Chuck Owens, she said, "Grieving on this day. The tragedy in Nashville is unspeakable. I can't wrap my mind around it. Very sad about all of the senseless loss of life in the school shooting. One of the victims was a lifelong friend. Cynthia Broyles Peak lived most of her young life right here in Leesville. She and my sister were the closest of friends growing up and it seems like Cindy was around for all of my childhood. She and Mae Ann had birthdays one day apart and her family lived across the street from us for a period of time. Cindy and Mae were always together. Her father was Dr. Bill Broyles, who opened Broyles hospital here back in the 1960s. They lived in Leesville until 1977, when Dr. Broyles relocated his business and family to Shreveport."
Further, she added, "Though Cindy was a 1979 graduate of Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, she hung on to her ties to Leesville. She came home to see family, to attend reunions and other events. She had a ball at the LHS Reunion and Homecoming in 2009---always a Wampus Cat. When my sister Mae died, Cindy’s was one of the first faces I recall seeing; she was right here to grieve her old friend. Cindy was a 1983 graduate of Texas Christian University (TCU). She and her family lived most of their adult life in the Nashville area but moved to Alabama for a portion of time when her daughter was attending Auburn University. She is survived by her husband, a daughter and two sons. Her family is beautiful."
The post further read, "The Broyles family's impact on Leesville is long-standing. Diane (1969), Debbie (1970), Bill (1971), and Mike Broyles (1974) all were graduates of Leesville High School. Cindy was also the niece of former 30th District Judge Ted Broyles. Her two cousins and an aunt live in Leesville to this day. Cindy was a devout servant and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. She told me that she got saved in college and that God’s love changed her life. I grieve through tears as I write these words, but I know Cindy is in Heaven with her father, Dr. Bill Broyles, her mother, Nell Broyles, and her oldest sister, Diane. I also can take solace that she and my sister are once again holding hands and smiling. Praying for the Peak and Broyles families. Hoping for better days for our country."