HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. – A Tennessee father faces a reckless homicide charge after he allegedly told police his daughter came home from her first day of sixth grade yesterday with a fatal gunshot wound.

Timothy Batts, 29, rushed his daughter to TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center just a few blocks from their home yesterday after he said the 11-year-old girl came home from school and told her she’d been shot, WKRN reports.

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The child, Timea Batts, was flown from TriStar to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where she died less than two hours later. The Knox Doss Middle School student was “a bright and kind girl who was well lived by her classmates,” according to a prepared statement by Sumner County Schools.

WSMV reports:

Detectives initially said Batts told police Timea was shot sometime in between getting off the bus and going inside her home on Shady View Drive on Monday afternoon. He said Timea told him that she had been shot, which is when he brought her to the hospital. …

Detectives did not go inside the home until several hours later when they were able to obtain a search warrant. Once investigators were able to get inside, they said they found evidence the young girl had been shot inside the home.

Neighbors, parents and students started a makeshift memorial in front of the family’s home after the incident – leaving candles, stuffed animals and flowers – and several folks spoke about the tragedy with WSMV.

“She’s only 11. She hasn’t even gotten her first car, hasn’t even gone to high school, hasn’t even experienced life yet, so that’s kind of sad,” parent Leanna McKee said. “Hendersonville is such a good town and it is a safe place to be and just all of us to rallying around each other and loving on one another is about the only thing you can do with something like this.”

Timothy Batts was charged with reckless homicide, as well as tampering with evidence, false reporting and felon in possession of a firearm, WKRN reports.

Sumner County Schools also issued a prepared statement about the incident.

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“Our entire school district is grieved to learn of the tragic loss of one of our sixth grade students, Timea Lashay Batts. Timea was a bright and kind girl who was well loved by her classmates and teachers. She will be greatly missed at Knox Doss Middle School at Drakes Creek,” the Monday statement read.

“It is our understanding from communicating with authorities that today’s tragic event in Hendersonville was not school related. The incident did not occur on the bus or at the bus stop. We have no reason to believe that there is any threat to student safety on any of our school campuses due to this tragic event,” it continued. “Grief counselors will be available for students and staff at school tomorrow.”

Timothy Batts is currently in Sumner County Jail on a $1 million bond and is expected back in court on August 24, according to the news site.