Funeral for nine-year-old Evelyn Dieckhaus will be first for Nashville shooting victims

The first funeral service will be held on Friday afternoon for the victims of this week’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Nashville, as the shocked and grieving city continued to mourn the dead after the horrific attack.

Nine-year-old Evelyn Dieckhaus will be memorialized on Friday and laid to rest on Saturday in a private burial, with her loved ones describing the sporty girl as a “shining light” and inviting guests to the funeral service to wear pink or other joyful hues in tribute to her “love of color”.

She was one of three children and three staff, including the school principal, who were gunned down last Monday by a 28-year-old who had previously attended the private Christian school and burst in armed with semi-automatic weapons. The shooter was killed inside the school by police.

In addition to Dieckhaus, those killed at the Covenant school were Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, nine, head teacher Katherine Koonce, 60, Mike Hill, 61, a custodian and Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher.

More funerals will take place this weekend and into next week.

In an obituary shared by a family friend, Dieckhaus was described as “a constant beacon of joy” who loved art, music, animals and snuggling with her older sister on the couch.

“While she was the boldest force on any given basketball court or softball diamond, Evelyn also gave the gentlest hugs and was a world-class snuggler. She was both a determined, natural leader and an easy-going supporter,” her obituary published in the Tennessean newspaper said, also describing how the nine-year-old was a deep thinker but also liked making funny faces.

The obituary also noted that she had an angelic voice. It added: “Another great passion of hers was music. Whether she was singing along to her favorite songs (especially from her well-played Hamilton or Taylor Swift albums) or composing her own songs on the piano, guitar, or ukulele, Evelyn had a wonderful sensibility for music.”

The text also noted that her sister Eleanor was her best friend and Evelyn also loved her dogs, Mable and Birdie, and wanted a rat for her 10th birthday present.

“Strong but never pushy, she had self-composure and poise beyond her years,” the obituary said.

She is survived also by her “devoted parents”, Katy and Mike Dieckhaus, and her maternal and paternal grandparents.