WASHINGTON — The Nashville community is reeling after a deadly shooting at The Covenant School, a small private school teaching children from preschool to sixth grade.
Three children and three adults were shot and killed: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old, and staff members Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.
As information trickles out about the investigation, several funds and donation campaigns have sprung up to aid families and survivors.
Verified online fundraisers
GoFundMe has launched an online hub listing fundraisers related to the shooting, all verified by the crowdfunding platform's Trust & Safety team.
One verified fundraiser, for custodian Mike Hill, started with a goal of $25,000 but — as of Tuesday night — had received more than $336,000 in donations. Organizer Anne Puricelli wrote that the funds would go to Hill's family for funeral expenses and other causes for the school and community.
"Mike, thank you for protecting Nashville’s children," Puricelli wrote in the campaign's description. "While every single loss in a shooting like this is an inexcusable tragedy, Mike is one who should not be overlooked in the wake of this senseless loss."
She added that Hill was the father of eight children, and was known as "Big Mike" to the students.
Other verified fundraisers as of Tuesday night included the Nashville Covenant School Shooting Fund organized by Victims First, a national nonprofit serving victims of mass casualty crimes. It had raised more than $216,000 for families after surpassing its original $150,000 donation goal.
The organizations behind an upcoming Nashville health care conference, ViVe, pledged $50,000 for victims and their families. An additional fundraiser organized by the conference was nearing its $75,000 goal for relief funds associated with the shooting.
GoFundMe said in a news release that the hub would be updated as more fundraisers are verified. You can see them all here.
Caring for Covenant Fund
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee said it has created the Caring for Covenant Fund to manage donations made in response to the shooting. The nonprofit said donations, minus credit card fees, will be directed to the school to "support the healing of those affected by this tragedy."
"Together, we will send a message of love and compassion to the entire Covenant community," CEO Hal Cato told The Tennessean.