Michael Hill, a 61-year-old custodian among the six people killed in the Nashville school shooting, was beloved by students, who nicknamed him "Big Mike."
“All of the messages we have received — through Facebook and Instagram and text messages — were all about how the kids loved Big Mike,” Brittany Hill, one of Michael Hill's seven children, said Thursday (March 30), per NBC News.
Michael Hill felt the same way about children, his daughter added.
“My dad loved children, absolutely adored children,” Brittany Hill said Thursday.
The custodian was one of three adults and three students killed on Monday (March 27) when a shooter opened fire at the Covenant school in Nashville. 28-year-old assailant Audrey Hale was killed by police. It's unclear what the motive was behind the shooting.
Joshua Smith said his father would've been devastated had he known that children died in the shooting.
"In this situation, I think it’s a normal thing to be upset and frustrated and angry — but those are the things that slowly eat you up over time,” Smith said. "I believe our dad would want us to show compassion — compassion to one another and to any family that’s been affected by a tragedy.”
Family members never got a chance to say goodbye to Michael Hill, but his messages, including random "I love you" texts, still live on.
"Every last one of us, all seven — we all received those 'I love you' texts, those random 'I love yous,'” Brittany Hill said. “I’m going to miss those, I really am. I’m going to miss those random 'I love yous.'"
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