The tragic shooting at Antioch High School, located just outside Nashville, Tennessee, has left two students injured, one fatally. New details about the suspect, 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, have emerged, revealing his actions leading up to and during the incident, as well as the aftermath.
The Metro Nashville Police Department identified Henderson, an active student at the school, as the shooter late Wednesday. The attack occurred in the school cafeteria, where Henderson opened fire, injuring two students before turning the gun on himself.
A 16-year-old female student, identified as Josselin Corea Escalante, tragically succumbed to her injuries. A second student, a male, sustained a graze wound to his arm and is expected to recover.
Henderson died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Henderson partially livestreamed the attack on the Australian streaming platform Kick. The platform swiftly banned his account and removed the video. “Violence has no place on Kick,” the company stated, adding that they are cooperating with law enforcement.
A manifesto and online writings attributed to Henderson have also surfaced, shedding light on his radicalization and mindset. His manifesto, shared via his now-deleted account on X (formerly Twitter), included inflammatory and hateful rhetoric, referencing past mass shooters and extremist ideologies.
Henderson’s writings revealed a mix of racial and religious hatred, with references to Black Hebrew Israelites and controversial online personalities. Investigators believe his manifesto was largely plagiarized, copying sections from other infamous documents.
Henderson’s actions appeared to imitate other perpetrators of mass violence. Photos discovered online show him posing similarly to Anton Lundin Pettersson, who carried out a 2015 school attack in Sweden, and Guilherme Taucci Monteiro, involved in a 2019 school shooting in Brazil.
Social media posts also linked Henderson’s behavior to Samantha Rupnow, the perpetrator of a recent shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Investigators are analyzing these references to determine their influence on Henderson’s actions.
The family of Josselin Corea Escalante has expressed their heartbreak over her loss. Her father reportedly said, “It’s not fair,” while her aunt, Maria Corea, described Josselin as a well-behaved, calm girl who excelled in school and loved her family deeply.
The school community and local authorities are working to support the victims’ families and provide resources for students and staff affected by the tragedy.
The incident has reignited debates on gun violence, mental health, and online radicalization. While some blame specific individuals and online platforms for fostering extremist views, others are calling for broader systemic changes.
Candace Owens, a political commentator named in Henderson’s writings, responded to accusations of her influence, calling the manifesto “a plagiarized troll” and accusing critics of using the tragedy for political gain.