Country music stars and other Nashville artists took to social media on Monday to share reactions to The Covenant School shooting.
Six people, including three nine-year-old children, were gunned down inside the school.
“i’m heartbroken i’m triggered i’m angry and i’m terrified for the loss we continue to have in this country due to guns,” wrote Kelsea Ballerini, in an Instagram Story. “three f**king kids. what are we doing.”
Ballerini has previously spoken about surviving a shooting in her high school.
Maren Morris wrote simply: “Oh my God.” Her husband, singer Ryan Hurd, shared: “I have been in tears all day … I am so sad, I feel helpless … there are kids who will never come home and I cannot handle that.”
Singer-songwriter Charlie Worsham said in an Instagram Story: “I’m heartbroken and enraged that we can’t seem to provide the simplest, most common-sense safeguards for our own children. If this was something other than a gun problem, it’d be happening all over the world. But it only seems to happen here.”
Cole Swindell, during his acceptance speech at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday night, said he was sending “lots of love back to our community in Nashville, Tennessee, that's hurting beyond belief right now.”
There were also reactions on Twitter from Chris Janson, Brett Young, Carly Pearce, Sheryl Crow and Randy Houser.
Mickey Guyton tweeted: “I try to stay off here for my mental health but for the love of God! As a mother, I’m pissed the f**k off. Shame on every single politician ok with doing nothing as CHILDREN are getting assassinated on an everyday basis in a place that is supposed to be their safe haven.”
LeAnn Rimes shared: "There are no words, just rage and heartbreak for these children and their families. i can't even fathom what is this doing to the psyches of every child and parent in this country. absolute terror every time a child goes to a place that should be safe.”
Some music stars took aim at Tennessee governor Bill Lee for pushing gun rights. “Our children are dying and being shot in school but you’re more worried about drag queens than smart gun laws? You have blood on your hands,” fumed Margo Price.
Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon “F**k you Bill Lee and f**k the NRA.”
Jason Isbell tweeted that Lee could do something but “you just don’t have the spine for it. This must be what you want, because you haven’t done anything to prevent it.”
John Osborne of Brothers Osborne posted a video on Instagram. “Our legislature in less than five days is going to pass a law. What is that law? Is it a red flag law? No. Is it a law to help make sure that psychos have less access to firearms? No. It's to ban f**king drag shows.
“It's ridiculous. The amount of mental gymnastics it must take for that to make sense, I can't fathom it. And apparently, it's to keep kids safe, so just think about that. Chew on that for a second."