'Beloved Teacher' and 'Devoted Mother' Killed by Husband in Murder-Suicide: Police

Police are classifying the deaths of a Nashville couple who were both found shot dead over the weekend as a murder-suicide.

Amina “Anna” Pierce, 30, is being remembered as a “beloved biology teacher” and a “devoted mother of two girls” in tributes shared by colleagues in the wake of her death.

Officers with the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department discovered the bodies of Anna and her 46-year-old husband Steven Pierce on the morning of June 15, according to a release from the agency.

Officers were responding to a report of a shooting when they found the couple dead inside their condo, having both suffered fatal gunshot wounds.

Police said that officers on the scene recovered a revolver from under Steven’s body.

“The investigation shows that they argued about divorce and financial issues before he fatally shot her,” the NMPD said in the release.

It is also noted in that release, however, that police had never responded to a domestic disturbance at the couple’s home.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Amina ‘Anna’ Darbashi Pierce, a beloved biology teacher and tennis coach at Hunters Lane High School,” a spokesperson for the Metro Nashville School District said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement went on to say the district’s thoughts and prayers were with Anna’s family.

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Anna was also remembered by Dr. Sue Kessler, the principal at Hunters Lane High School, where she had been a teacher for seven years.

“She enjoyed teaching biology and 9th graders because she was convinced that the relationships she built with students would help them through graduation and beyond,” Dr. Kessler said in her tribute to Anna. “She was one of the tennis coaches and worked tirelessly to increase the number of tennis players at our school.”

Dr. Kessler went on to say how much Anna “loved learning about leadership” and revealed that “she was working on her licensure to become a principal” at the time of her death.

Anna also “helped other teachers as they learned to navigate the mom-teacher balance,” being a mom-of-two herself, said Dr. Kessler, who then noted: “We will miss Ms, Pierce’s commitment to kids, love of our school and her dedication. ”

She then ended her tribute by writing: “Our thoughts are with the many people who loved her.”

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