Just two days into the new presidential administration, the United States has experienced its first school shooting of 2025. Solomon Henderson, 17, allegedly opened fire at Antioch High School in Nashville on January 22, 2025. Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, died in the shooting, and another student received a gunshot wound before Henderson reportedly turned the gun on himself. The shooter allegedly warned of his actions on a now-deleted X account. The victim’s family does not understand why their daughter had to die.
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According to a news release from the Metro Nashville Police Department, investigators are trying to determine what led to the fatal shooting.
“Homicide Unit detectives along with their law enforcement partners in the MNPD and federal/state agencies are examining very concerning on-line writings and social media posts connected to 17-year-old Solomon Henderson as they work to establish the motive behind Henderson’s gunfire this morning in Antioch High School’s cafeteria,” the release reads.
Raw Story reported that Henderson posted a manifesto on his now-deleted X account. The teenager’s words apparently pointed to a hatred for Black people, though he himself was Black. On the day of the shooting, he reportedly posted, “God I am ugly. 4 hours to go.”
According to Raw Story, before the shooting, Henderson credited Black conservative Candace Owens with radicalizing him, among others.
He reportedly wrote, “To expand on this, Candace Owens has influenced me above all. Each time she spoke, I was stunned by her insights, and her own views helped push me further and further into the belief of violence over the Jewish questions.”
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It’s unclear what exactly caused him to break, but his actions have devastated his victim’s family. German Corea, Escalante’s father, told WTVF in Spanish, “Every day I told her how much I loved her.”
The grieving father said she was a daddy’s girl who loved to play soccer and made good grades at school. “It’s not fair,” he added.
Escalante’s aunt, Maria Corea, said her heart broke when she heard the news.
Corea said, “Oh God. She was my girl,” she told me. “She was a very calm girl and well-behaved. She had good grades in school. She was a girl who loved her parents and all her family.”
Police reported a third victim had a non-life-threatening injury and was treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
At this time, the connection between Henderson and the victims remains unclear. School resource officers on the scene reportedly arrived at the cafeteria shortly after a report of shots fired just as Henderson died by suicide.
“On behalf of this entire police department, I extend our deep condolences to Antioch High students, parents, and staff,” Chief John Drake shared in a statement. “Our officers and counselors will work to be part of the healing process in the days and weeks ahead.”
Metro Nashville Schools closed Antioch High School on January 23 and 24 to allow students and staff time to grieve. In a news release, Director of Schools Adrienne Battle vowed not to let the shooting define the district.
“While we have been focused on addressing the immediate situation, we are committed to understanding how and why this happened and what more we can do to prevent such tragedies in the future. It’s important to remember that our schools have historically been safe places for learning, friendship, and growth. We cannot allow this tragedy to overshadow the positive experiences of our 80,000 students,” Battle wrote. “The rest of our schools will remain open, and our school counseling teams will be on hand to provide support for students who need help in processing this tragedy.”
The situation remains under investigation.
