'We had 15 beautiful years with her.' Mother of Marshall County shooting victim speaks out
Thomas Novelly
Bailey Holt wore Converse tennis shoes with her homecoming dress.
Thinking about that dress is one of the ways her mother is remembering Bailey after she was one of two students killed Tuesday in a shooting at Marshall County High School.
"I'm just missing her. Every morning before school, I would kiss her and tell her I loved her every morning before I left for work," Secret Holt told NBC News in an interview.
Holt talked about calling her daughter's cellphone after hearing the news of the shooting. Bailey called back, but there was nothing on the other end.
"But she couldn't say anything, and I kept calling her name over and over and over and she couldn't respond, and we just thought that that was her way of telling us that she was OK," Holt said.
The 15-year-old student accused of the shooting is expected to be tried as an adult and will be charged with two counts of murder and 12 counts of assault in the first degree, officials said Wednesday.
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Holt talked about how kind her daughter was. How maybe, just maybe, she would have even befriended the troubled 15-year-old that is accused of killing her.
"And I know, I know that she would've been the shooter's friend in a heartbeat if she knew that he needed someone to talk to," Holt said. "I'm gonna miss her smile. Her beautiful smile. She was so beautiful and smart and perfect and just such a loving big-hearted person."
She hugged her daughter on Tuesday morning before school, the last time she'd ever see her baby.
"We had 15 beautiful years with her. And so many pictures and memories to remember her by," Holt said. "And I know all of her friends and family feel the same."
Thomas Novelly: 502-582-4465; tnovelly@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @TomNovelly. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/tomn.