Parents Hold Prayer Vigil at CCS in Honor of Nashville Shooting Victims

March 30, 2023

Nick Hill,

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – In the wake of the Nashville school shooting that left six dead including three children, local parents are coming together to pray for those impacted by the tragedy.

It was a subdued scene around the flagpole in front of Chattanooga Christian School (CCS).

Several parents came together in their collective faith to mourn those we have lost.

Stephanie Horton, one of the prayer vigil participants said, “We wanted to lift up the people who were affected by this horrible tragedy, and also pray for the perpetrator’s family who are mourning and grieving and are so confused as well. Just wanted to keep our eyes on Jesus instead of on the tragedy and just to keep it in perspective and to know that God is our refuge and our hope and strength.”

This prayer vigil came together through a CCS parent Facebook page.

Various participants prayed for the safety of their children as the incident has shaken them.

This vigil followed several that have been held in Nashville.

Horton had a personal connection to the Covenant Church in Nashville connected with the school.

She said, “My son was married at the church that’s connected to the school, so I have been there. It just made me remember being there. A former pastor at my church was the pastor at this church for 20 years.”

She said that she has heard multiple other private schools in the area have been holding or will hold prayer vigils as well.

The parents who prayed this morning voiced the importance of helping those who are struggling through mental health issues.

Horton added, “The perpetrator was very troubled. One thing we want to be careful of is to make sure we don’t avoid helping those people. We want them to be loved and accepted and especially to find help.”