The country star made his second trip back to the Tennessee high school to meet with students following the tragedy
Jelly Roll returned to his Tennessee alma mater, Antioch High School, earlier this week to speak with students and staff nearly a month after the fatal shooting on campus. A 17-year-old student there opened fire in the school’s cafeteria, resulting in two deaths, including his own, and two injuries.
According to an Instagram post from Metro Nashville Public Schools, the singer took scores of photos and selfies with students during the visit, posing with some boys in a dense auditorium in one picture. Full details of his conversations with the school community haven’t been divulged publicly.
According to Billboard, Jelly Roll is one of just a few famous faces to attend the school, including former North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis and fellow rapper Yelawolf. Jelly Roll also visited the school in May 2024 to review music students’ compositions and bolster the Save the Music Foundation. He reconnected with his former teachers and performed for the students as well.
Jelly Roll has made a habit of generous visits to communities in need, including frequent stops at local jails while he tours around the country. Rolling Stone met with four men from Virginia’s Chesterfield County Jail Helping Addicts Recover Progressively program, whom he invited to perform with him at Charlotteville’s John Paul Jones Arena last year.
“Jelly Roll giving us that opportunity, it just opened my eyes to the possibilities if I keep my recovery first,” said one of the men named Kevin. “I know that the second I don’t make recovery my main focus, all of those possibilities go away.”
On January 30, Jelly Roll performed in Los Angeles’ FireAid benefit concert that raised funds to help the area recover from this year’s devastating spate of wildfires. His song “I Am Not Okay” from his hit album Beautifully Broken was nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 2025 Grammys.
