Two parents in Tennessee are mourning the loss of their daughter after she was killed in a high school shooting.
Authorities reported that 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante was fatally shot in the cafeteria of Antioch High School on Wednesday morning by 17-year-old Solomon Henderson.
“I want to remember my daughter alive, having her by my side,” her father, German Corea, said through a translator. “Tragically, that’s no longer possible.”
After hearing about the shooting on Wednesday, her parents rushed to the school and saw medics trying to save their daughter’s life on the way to the hospital.
However, she was already dead when they got to the hospital.
Corea said he’s still trying to understand why his daughter was a victim of this shooting. She had never been in trouble at the school and was kind to everyone.
“She was my eyes,” her father said through a translator. “Wherever I was going, she was coming with me. She was very close to me. I feel so bad because I am never going to see my daughter again.”
Josselin’s family is originally from Guatemala but they moved from Boston to Nashville three years ago.
They were concerned about Antioch High School’s safety because it did not have metal detectors.
Corea said the school didn’t want to waste time searching every student coming into the building. He’s hopeful more safety measures will be added to keep other families from experiencing this pain.
Josselin’s cousin, Brianna Jose Gutierrez, was taking a test at her Atlanta high school when she got a call from her mom about the shooting.
“It’s truly heartbreaking because school is meant to be our safe place,” said Jose Gutierrez. “For anyone to bring weapons to school, it’s just not acceptable.”
The family’s home is filled with photos from Josselin’s quinceañera. Relatives, including Jose Gutierrez, have traveled from across the country to grieve together.
They’ve set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and other costs.
The investigation has found no connection between the gunman and the victims.
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