Nashville shooting: Funeral details released for 6 killed, pink dress code for Evelyn Dieckhaus' service
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Funeral schedules for the six people who died in the tragic Nashville shooting were made public on Thursday, March 30. The entire city is in mourning for the victims of the heinous violence that turned the lively day of The Covenant School into an unforgettable nightmare.
The devastating new details have continued to come to light about the three adults and three 9-year-old pupils whose innocent lives were lost during a shooting spree at the private Christian school on Monday, March 27. The children have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. The adults were identified as Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school, Mike Hill, 61, a custodian, and Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher.
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What is the plan for the victims' funerals?
According to an obituary, Evelyn's funeral ceremony was planned for Friday, March 31, at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville, with a private reception to follow. In honor of Evelyn's "light and love of color," the obituary requests that mourners dress in pink or other cheery hues to the funeral. She will be buried in a private family burial on Saturday, April 1, as reported by The Associated Press.
Hallie's family arranged a private funeral for her on Saturday at Covenant Presbyterian Church, where her father is the lead pastor. On Thursday, according to a Facebook post from Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, members of the church, including the girl's grandparents, planned to recite the rosary for Hallie and all those impacted by the shooting.
Pastor Jim Bachmann has scheduled Hill's funeral for Tuesday morning at 11 am at Stephens Valley Church in Nashville, with visitation starting at 10 am. Koonce's visitation was planned for Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. at Christ Presbyterian Church, followed by a service the following day at 1.00 pm Kinney's funeral was scheduled for 2.30 pm Sunday at Christ Presbyterian. Peak's visitation was set for Saturday at 10.30 a.m. at Christ Presbyterian, followed by the service at noon.
'Evelyn was a constant beacon of joy'
The burial arrangements were made public as new details about Evelyn and some of the other people were revealed. Evelyn was described as "a constant beacon of joy" in the obituary provided to the AP by a family friend. She enjoyed art, music, animals, and cuddling on the sofa with her older sister. "With an unwavering faith in the goodness of others, Evelyn made people feel known, seen, but never judged," the obituary read. "Her adoring family members agree that ‘she was everyone’s safe space.'"
'She had self-composure beyond her years'
In preschool, Evelyn "would often position herself between two younger babies, intuitively offering comfort by patting their backs." According to her obituary, she would welcome visitors with open arms and an infectious laugh. According to her obituary, Evelyn loved drawing and crafting, and her instructors "would observe Evelyn studying the world around her with curiosity, eagerness, and clarity." She also enjoyed singing along to songs from 'Hamilton' on Broadway and by Taylor Swift. She also cherished her two dogs, Mable and Birdie, and wished for a rat as a gift for her tenth birthday. "Strong but never pushy, she had self-composure and poise beyond her years," the obituary read. "This girl 'could read a room.'"
William Kinney's youth baseball league heartbroken
William Kinney's youth baseball league was taking action to memorialize a teammate and friend as Evelyn's family prepared for her funeral. A coach at the Crieve Hall Baseball park led a prayer and a minute of silence for the child the night following the shooting. The homage was published on the park's Facebook page.
According to Steve Cherrico, the director of Crieve Hall youth athletics, William had previously played baseball at the park with the Reds as his squad this year. The pitch where William played has red ribbons, and players and their families have been urged to wear red on the field and in the stands. "We’ve covered everything in red," Cherrico stated. "We have put plenty of memory pieces on the ballpark itself," he added, as reported by WSMV.