News Summary

The parents of 16-year-old Dayana Escalante, who died in a shooting at Antioch High School, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking $700,000 from Metro Nashville Public Schools. The lawsuit claims that the school was aware of the shooter’s violent history and failed to take appropriate action. The family argues that the school’s negligence allowed the shooter to bring a firearm onto campus. This case highlights ongoing concerns about school safety and the obligations of educational institutions to protect their students.

Antioch

The parents of 16-year-old Dayana Escalante, who tragically lost her life in a shooting at Antioch High School, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Metro Nashville Public Schools. The family is seeking $700,000 in damages, claiming the school failed to act on prior knowledge of the shooter’s violent background.

The lawsuit, submitted to Davidson County Circuit Court on June 23, 2025, alleges that school administrators were aware of the shooter’s concerning criminal history but did nothing to protect students. The shooter, 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, had a record of violent behavior including making a death threat toward a teacher and brandishing a box cutter at another student in a school hallway. Despite these incidents, Henderson only received a two-day suspension following the box cutter threat, in direct contradiction to the school district’s policy that mandates expulsion for such violent acts.

The legal complaint emphasizes negligence on the part of the school regarding its security measures, suggesting that the insufficient system allowed the shooter to bring a firearm onto the premises undetected. The attorney representing Escalante’s family believes that their case demonstrates a strong basis for damages, as they argue that actions taken by the school could have potentially prevented the tragic incident.

The $700,000 claim is divided as follows: $300,000 for the death and loss of their daughter, and $400,000 for other damages and emotional suffering incurred by the family as a result of the shooting.

As of the latest updates, the legal department at Metro Nashville Public Schools has not yet reviewed the lawsuit, and a formal response has not been filed in court. Meanwhile, the school has expressed sympathy for the Escalante family but has opted not to provide further comment in light of the ongoing litigation.

The impact of Dayana Escalante’s death extends beyond her immediate family; her hometown in Guatemala has honored her memory by naming a street after her. This acknowledgment reflects the profound loss felt by her community, amplifying calls for increased school safety and accountability in instances of school violence.

The escalating concerns surrounding school safety, particularly in the wake of this tragic event, underscore the importance of rigorous enforcement of school policies concerning violence. The Escalante family maintains that the preventable nature of this tragedy stems from the school’s inaction regarding Solomon Henderson’s violent history, thus highlighting a critical gap in offering secure environments for students.

This legal battle is ongoing, and it will further explore the responsibilities that educational institutions have in maintaining safety for their students, particularly in light of prior incidents that raise red flags about a student’s behavior.

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HERE Resources

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Ruby Major Elementary Students Shine at Grand Ole Opry
Nashville Schools Consider A.I. Security Sensors After Shooting
Concerns Rise Over Student Threats in Nashville Schools
Nashville Man Arrested for Sharing Disturbing Online Content
Nashville Police Department Faces Scrutiny After Grand Jury Findings

Additional Resources

• NewsChannel 5: Family of Antioch High School Shooting Victim Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Wikipedia: School shooting
• Newschannel 9: Family Sues MNPS Over Antioch High School Shooting
• Google Search: Antioch High School shooting
• Nashville Post: Family of Antioch High Shooting Victim Sues MNPS
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Safety
• Tennessean: Antioch School Shooting Victim’s Parents Sue MNPS
• Google News: Antioch High School shooting lawsuit

Author: HERE Nashville

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