A 288-page diary police believe was created by 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, who fatally shot one student and injured another before taking his own life Wednesday inside the cafeteria at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, suggests he wanted to kill “at least 10 people” in the attack that has left the school community in grief.
The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed in an update on the investigation Thursday that the 288-page diary is among two documents being reviewed by security officials, including agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but did not reveal explicit details. They noted that Henderson was influenced by online content “most would find harmful and objectionable.”
“In the aftermath of the shooting, detectives have found two documents believed to have been created by Henderson on non-traditional websites, one [is] 51 pages in length, the other 288 pages. That material, along with evidence recovered from the residence Wednesday, is under close scrutiny by Homicide Unit detectives, detectives from the Specialized Investigations Division, and the FBI,” the MNPD said in its update.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
“It is clear that Henderson was significantly influenced by web-based material, especially that found on non-traditional sites that most would find harmful and objectionable. The FBI is working closely with the MNPD in the ideological influences portion of this investigation.”
Police say Henderson, who was a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadet, was brought to school on Wednesday morning by his mother, and did not arrive on the school bus as previously reported. Prior to entering the cafeteria, the investigation shows that he went inside a nearby restroom where he posted photos on social media.
Henderson fired 10 shots from a nine-millimeter pistol within 17 seconds after entering the cafeteria where he fatally shot 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante then shot a male student in the arm before eventually turning the gun on himself.
“Henderson’s gun was loaded with nine rounds when it was recovered by police. A pistol magazine loaded with seven rounds was recovered from the cafeteria floor,” investigators explained.
Police found no firearms or firearm parts during a search of Henderson’s home on Wednesday evening. They noted that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms is also working with the MNPD to find out where the gun Henderson used in the attack came from and how he got it.
“At this point, it is known that the pistol was purchased by an individual in Arizona in 2022. It had not been reported stolen. Efforts continue here and out of state to further this aspect of the overall investigation,” the MNPD said.
A copy of a 288-page diary believed to be the among the writings being reviewed by investigators was shared with NewsChannel 5 Nashville. In addition to his alleged goal to kill “at least 10 people,” the document reportedly showed Henderson was a troubled teenager idolized some of the world’s most infamous mass murderers.
In the online diary which starts on Oct. 18, 2024, Henderson displays significant self-hate, anger toward his parents and emotional instability. He also expresses fear about his mass shooting plan being discovered by authorities before he was able to execute it.
“I had my house raided once they found a gun it was mine LOL. My dad took the blame…. My dad he’s cool. I hate my mother doe,” Henderson purportedly wrote.
Henderson accuses his mother of being abusive and alleges that “when I was 7 or 9 she put a gun to my head saying, ‘she could take me out.’” The late school shooter allegedly wrote that he reported the abuse to his father but he “pretended nothing was happening.”
He even shared thoughts in the diary about his desire to kill his parents but could not do it.
“I should just go with my gun and shoot her (mother) while she sleeps in her bed before Zero Day. Maybe I should set up bombs near JFK Middle School and Elementary school near my house as a diversion. To delay the police,” he allegedly wrote before adding, “I don’t think I can kill my family.”
Despite being black, Henderson allegedly endorsed white power and described himself as a “self-hating n——.”
On Wednesday night, members of the Nashville community gathered at the Hamilton United Methodist Church not far from the school for a prayer vigil.
“Our children deserve the God-given right to learn without fear. Parents deserve the right to expect their children will be safe in their classrooms,” the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee said in a statement, according to the Tennessean. “Each school shooting calls us to grieve with and pray for another bloodstained community, and to relive the senseless tragedies still fresh in our minds.”
Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost
