NASHVILLE, TN — Howard Jones held a news conference last Friday, April 7 regarding the threat to the lives of school personnel. This news event was held on the steps of the Juvenile Court Building.
Jones, an assistant principal at Stratford High School is an example of “one life spared,” rather than one lost. Only a few days following the horrific shootings at Covenant School, a student was being disciplined and used his cell phone to tell someone “I don’t give a f_ _ _ _ about Mr. Jones and I am going to ‘clock’ him.” The statement was made in the presence of assistant principal Jones and others. The student has been disciplined and Jones is still alive and safe.
“I know I am blessed to be alive, however, my story is not the only one. Many of our teachers and administrators live with threats to their lives on a daily basis throughout the nation,” said Howard Jones, a pastor and assistant principal. Covenant School just happened here, however, there were 51 school shootings in 2022 that resulted in injuries or deaths, the most in a single year since Education Week began tracking such incidents in 2018.
Prior to 2022, the highest number of school shootings with injuries or deaths was last year when there were 35. There were 10 in 2020, and 24 each in 2019 and 2018.
The killings of six people at the Covenant School, three students, two administrators, and the janitor, as well as the shooter, are now dead, for no reason of their own. The concern by many, is how many more? There is work that must be done.
Jones has been highly active in the community throughout his adult life, standing firm for the people, and even putting his life on the line to help others. As one reporter explained what a bystander said, “You ban books, you ban drag shows, but our children are still in body bags.”
