WASHINGTON, March 31, 2023 — Evangelist Dr. Alveda King joined Marc Little and a mounting number of faith leaders in issuing an open letter to address the tragic and senseless murder of three nine-year-old children and three staff members at the Covenant School in Nashville.

The statement reads in part:

As pastors and leaders of ministries that embrace a Christian ethic, reaching over 1,000,000 followers of Christ, we extend our prayers and resources to the families of those who lost their lives at Covenant School. We mourn with all of you. We know these mere words could never penetrate the depths of your sorrow, but we know the Holy Spirit is an ever-present help in your time of need, and He will bring you peace in your time of mourning. 

The leaders strongly denounced calls to blame the Christian faith or Tennessee lawmakers who passed legislation preventing minors from undergoing gender reassignment surgery. While recognizing mental illness’s role in recent shootings, they call upon all Americans to place the blame where it belongs, “squarely on Audrey Hale,” who identified as transgender.

The coalition of faith leaders has mobilized at all levels of government to promote common sense solutions to fortify soft targets like our schools. They advocate for measures such as increased security software systems and on-site armed and canine security.

The faith leaders have committed to speaking out and taking action nationwide to protect the most vulnerable, our children.