Four members of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department received recognition during the Southeastern Conference Media Days opening on Monday. They were honored for their courageous and swift response to the tragic Covenant School shooting on March 27th, which claimed the lives of three children and three adults.

Commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged four of the five officers who confronted and ultimately neutralized the shooter. He expressed the collective grief felt by the SEC community, stating, "We mourned alongside Nashville, watching in horror as the events unfolded at Covenant School. The loss of six innocent lives, both children and adults, will not be forgotten."

Sankey emphasized that the tragedy could have been even more devastating without the officers' immediate and brave actions. Detective Ryan Cagle, Sergeant Jeffrey Mathes, Detective Zachary Plese, and Detective Michael Collazo were met with applause from the audience. Sankey also announced that they would be honored guests at the 2024 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

He stressed that while words and gestures of gratitude are important, they cannot fully express the appreciation felt for the officers' service, leadership, and dedication to protecting the community during times of crisis.

On March 27th, a shooter armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun entered the private Christian grade school. The shooter, identified as a transgender woman residing in Nashville, was stopped by police on the second floor.