'Today changed me': Shawn Johnson fears for her children as school locked down amid Nashville shooting
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Shawn Johnson, whose kids go to a nearby school, is feeling particularly affected by the tragic school shooting in Nashville. A 28-year-old former student opened fire inside a private elementary school on Monday morning, killing three children and three adults, according to a spokeswoman for the Nashville Police Department.
A few hours later, Johnson disclosed that her kids' school had been locked down. She took to her Instagram and wrote, "I haven't been able to catch my breath since reading the news and getting a call from our school that they were on lockdown as well given the news "Shaking. Crying. Heartbroken. Horrific."
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In the same story, she continued, "Our babies are now home with us. I feel lucky and blessed but still so incredibly sad. No parent or family should ever have to deal with this. I've seen childrens ambulances, countless police cars, buses of children being transported to safety, parents flying down the street laying on their horns, people sprinting in and out of churches and schools looking for their kids. Today has changed me."
She continued by describing the terrible scenario that unfolded following the shooting in another story and wrote, "So far; 3 children and 2 adults have died. Praying for the families whose baby won't be coming home from school today and the families who have lost a piece of themselves." The 31-year-old athlete continued, "I also pray for the children and adults who may have witnessed, first hand, the heinous acts of violence inflicted today. Jesus, please be near."
The former Olympic gymnast also posted a video her husband had taken of police cars and school buses passing by the street. In the story, she wrote, "Andrew caught this on his way home with our babies from their lockdown. These are all of the babies from the shooting being taken to safety." She added, "My mama heart is shattered you guys. You don't ever fully recover from this. Thinking of these beautiful innocent babies, their families, the first responders, the teachers, everyone affected by todays heinous acts." She then stated, "Helicopters are still circling. The silence in Nashville is very loud right now."
She followed it up with a picture of herself cradling her babies and writing, "When Andrew got our babies home," in the caption. In her last story she wrote, "A friend said it the best.... Nashville is way more than a city, it's a family," she wrote in another message. "Every single person is separated by two degrees and knows each other, prays for each other, goes to church together."
The Covenant School's gunman entered through a side door, according to Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Nashville Police Department. Two police officers responded to a complaint at 10:13 in the morning and found the shooter on the second story of the building. Aaron said the shooter died at the same crime scene, as per reports.