The family of Michael Hill, a custodian killed in a shooting at a Nashville school that left two other adults and three 9-year-old children dead, is remembering his legacy of love and compassion.
Four of Hill's seven children spoke to TODAY about their father, who they said was known as Big Mike. His children said he was a religious man who loved telling dad jokes and calling them by their nicknames.
"My dad loved children, absolutely adored children," his daughter Brittany Hill said. "From all of the messages we have received through Facebook and Instagram and text messages, (they) were all about how the kids loved Big Mike."
Joshua Smith, Hill's son, said his father would have been devastated to know children died in the shooting.
"I think it's a normal thing to be upset, frustrated and angry but those are the things that slowly eat you up over time," his son Joshua Smith said. "I believe our dad would want us to show compassion, compassion to one another and to any family that has been affected by a tragedy."
Hill’s children added they will now cherish the text messages their dad sent them every few days to say, "I love you."
"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.'"
Hill, 61, was working as a custodian at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, when a former student opened fire on March 27, killing Hill and five others.
A team of five police officers confronted the shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, on the second floor of the school, police said. Two officers fired shots, killing Hale about 14 minutes after the attack began.
Officials identified the three children who died in the shooting as Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kenney and Hallie Scruggs, who were all 9-year-old students at the school.
Hallie was the daughter of Greg Scruggs, who is a lead pastor at The Covenant Church, a Presbyterian church the school is connected to.
Dr. Katherine Koonce, Covenant's head of school, and Cynthia Peak, a 61-year-old substitute teacher, were also killed in the attack.
Hill's family said they waited with the relatives of other victims until a police chaplain and other officers told them he had died.
But Tawana Garner, one of Hill's daughters, said his family "knew prior" to confirmation from police. "I knew immediately when he didn’t answer the phone," she said.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the shooter had previously attended the school. "There’s some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school," Drake told NBC News’ Lester Holt.
He added the shooter had carefully planned the attack with a document, detailed maps and surveillance.
Authorities have not released a motive for the attack.