Tennessee‘s Governor Bill Lee has revealed a teacher killed in the Nashville school massacre was his wife’s best friend – and that she had been due for dinner on the day she died.
Lee announced his wife Maria was best friends with victim Cindy Peak, 61, who died while working as a substitute teacher at Covenant Christian school Monday.
And he revealed he and Maria – who trained as a teacher – were also good friends with head of school Katherine Koonce, 60, who died after running to try and protect her students from transgender shooter Audrey Hale, 28.
The five-minute video from the Republican governor came a day after six people were killed, including three students, at the Covenant School shooting led by a transgender female on Monday.
‘Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends, Cindy Peak,’ Lee said. ‘Cindy was supposed to come over to have dinner with Maria last night after she filled in as a substitute teacher yesterday at Covenant.’
Governor Bill Lee announced on Tuesday his wife Maria was best friends with victim Cindy Peak, 61, who died while standing in as a substitute teacher at the Christian school. Pictured: Bill Lee
Cindy Peak, 61, died while at Covenant school on Monday. She was supposed to have dinner with the Lee’s on Monday night. Peak is pictured above with her daughter
Lee added: ‘Cindy, Maria and Kathy Koonce were all teachers at the same school and have been family friends for decades.’
Cindy and Katherine died alongside custodian Mike Hill and nine-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney.
Maria Lee (above) woke up without her best friend on Monday, the governor said
‘We’re enduring a very difficult moment,’ Lee said. ‘But this is not a time for hate and rage. That will not resolve or heal.’
‘We will act to prevent this from happening again,’ Lee added.
Lee reassured all Tennesseans that everyone was on the same page to move forward and ensure safety despite some not agreeing with the ‘action plan.’
‘There will be a time, to talk about the legislation and the budget proposals that we brought forth, even this year, and clearly there is more work to do. But on this day, after the tragedy, I want to speak to that which rises above all else.’
Lee concluded adding the ‘struggle wasn’t against flesh and blood’ or ‘people’ but ‘evil.’
‘We can’t forget this – and it’s very difficult – but we are called to not only love our neighbors, but to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who intend harm,’ Lee said.
The governor shared the close relationship Maria had with Peak and another Covenant victim. Pictured: Bill and Maria Lee
Katherine Koonce, head of school (left), and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher (right) were among those shot. Bill Lee revealed Koonce, Maria and Peak were all good friends
Hallie Scruggs, 9, was killed in the shooting and is pictured with her father, a pastor at the church, Chad Scruggs
Mike Hill (center), who had worked at the school for more than a decade, was also killed in the mass shooting
Will Kinney, (pictured) was shot and killed along with Hallie Scruggs, both 9, in the massacre
Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, was another victim shot on Monday. Her family said she died trying to save her friends
The victims of the Nashville shooting were shot by Audrey Hale. Hale used the names Audrey and Aiden but her preferred pronouns were he/him according to a LinkedIn page.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that she had previously attended the school in Nashville, Tennessee, but her motive for the shooting was unclear.
Police Chief John Drake added that Hale had been suffering from an ’emotional disorder’ at the time of the shooting
Hale has been described as having ‘high-functioning’ autism, but police revealed today she also was under doctors’ care.
Her parents – Norma and Ronald Hale – knew that she had a weapon at one time, but told her to sell it because they thought she couldn’t be trusted with it.
Instead, she hid her stockpile and added to it, buying seven different weapons in total from five local stores.
Chief Drake added: ‘Law enforcement knew nothing about the treatment, and it is apparent that she should not own weapons”.
Authorities also confirmed that Hale’s mother, Norma, had asked her what was in a red backpack she was carrying on the morning of the murders but she dismissed her question.
Yesterday, she took three of her weapons to The Covenant School – two rifles and a handgun.
Another two weapons were seen being removed from the house yesterday in a video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.
Hale was born female but had recently begun using he/him pronouns and the name ‘Aiden’
A spokesperson for the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department Monday night revealed that Officers Rex Engelbart (pictured left) and Michael Collazo (pictured right) were the members of the team who fired at Hale, ultimately killing her
Horrified parents rushed to the school shortly after the active shooter alert on Monday, which saw several others placed into lockdown.
Police took 14 minutes to arrive and shoot Hale dead, with bodycam footage revealing the moment they came across her in the school.
She had been shooting at police officers through a window, with cops taking less than six minutes to track her down within the building.
Parents and students have been back to the school to pray for those who died, as well as leave tributes for the fourth graders who were murdered.
Hale left a detailed manifesto and plan for the shooting at her home and her car, but officers have yet to disclose its contents.
Police shared a picture of the Honda Fit she drove to The Covenant School and announced they’d found ‘additional material’ written by Hale from the manifesto she’d left.
They also posted photos of the doors of the school, which Hale had shot out in order to gain entry. Police confirmed the glass doors had been locked when Hale arrived.
The small school is run by a church and does not employ a school resource officer.
Hale also allegedly had planned out an attack on another school but decided not to attack there after believing there was too much security, according to Nashville Police Chief John Drake in a Monday afternoon press conference.
Before driving to the school, she messaged a friend on Instagram telling them: ‘I’m planning to die today. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!
‘You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die.
‘This is my last goodbye. I love you. ‘See you again in another life. Audrey (Aiden)’.
