A tragic incident unfolded earlier this morning at Chadwell Elementary School in Madison, Nashville, when a custodial employee, a 52-year-old woman, was found stabbed to death. Found by a fellow employee in the school parking lot around 6 a.m., detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department suspect the attack to be a domestic violence-related homicide. Seemingly laid in wait by her estranged husband, authorities are now striving to locate him, as stated in WSMV's report.
While the search for the suspect continues, the Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson relayed, "school operations are being relocated to the former Gra-Mar Middle School at 575 Joyce Lane." WKRN further detailed that the relocation efforts include transport arrangements for bussed students, and a directive for car riders to proceed to the temporary location, which can be viewed on their website. After hearing the attack, 911 was dialed promptly by neighbors, as detailed by a spokesperson for Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Additional reassurances came from nearby Goodpasture Christian School; in a decidedly calm message to parents, they confirmed awareness of the police presence but assured there were no security threats to their campus, according to a statement obtained by WSMV. MNPD stressed that they do not sense an immediate danger to the public in the vicinity of Port Drive or the school itself, alleviating concerns about broader risks to the community.
As the school community grapples with the shock of this violence, the district ensures that no students were harmed in the incident, which occurred before school hours. Inherent in such assurances is the hope offered by normalcy, with MNPS stating, “Students who typically walk to school, MNPS transportation will have buses stationed near Chadwell to provide transportation to the temporary site,” as FOX17 reported.
Anyone with information regarding the incident or the whereabouts of the suspected stabber is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME. MNPD remains on the scene carrying out their investigation into the fatal stabbing, and more updates are expected to be issued as the situation progresses.
