School killer was likely egged on by online extremist ‘handlers,’ investigators say

The killer behind the January 2025 shooting at Nashville’s Antioch High School appears to have had “handlers” associated with violent extremist groups who were egging him on, an exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered.

Solomon Henderson, 17, left behind a recording in which he attributed the deadly school shooting to Maniac Murder Cult and 764, investigators say. Both groups target children online around the globe, leaving behind a trail of victims.

Antioch High School student Dayana Escalante, 16, became one of those victims.

“Once we saw how many chat rooms he was involved in, how many social media platforms he had, the lengths he went to cover it up, we realized it was a lot bigger than we could ever imagine,” said Metro Police Capt. Chris Dickerson.

Dickerson oversees the police division that focuses on crimes related to extremists.

“So, when it comes to the Antioch shooting, he was targeted at a very young age,” Dickerson said. “This wasn’t something that happened overnight. It was cultivated through years.”

NewsChannel 5 Investigates followed up, “You say targeted. Someone was using him as a pawn in their game?”

“Yes, sir,” the police captain answered, “a pawn, using him as a weapon, an extension of what they wanted to happen.”

Read more: News Channel 5 Nashville