Friend remembers Captain Shreve High graduate killed in Nashville school shooting

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — For many in Shreveport, the Nashville school shooting hits home on multiple levels.

Not just for any parent who worries about this happening; but as KSLA first told you Monday night, because one of the six victims graduated from high school in Shreveport.

Cynthia Broyles Peak graduated from Captain Shreve High in 1979.

She was raised in Leesville. Her family moved to the Shreveport area in 1977 from Vernon Parish.

“She was just a bright star and we all loved her dearly.”

Peak’s friends describe her as loving, caring and having a strong faith.

“When I think about Cindy, I think about a sweet smile that she had,” said Peggy Murphy, who has been in close contact with the family since this happened.

“I think about how her spirit, her spirit was just so sweet and it was so kind. And I think certainly that resonated with the fact that she’s such a strong believer, she has a strong Christian faith which is a testament to her love of teaching.”

Peak’s friends told KSLA that she was very involved in organizations at Captain Shreve High and that she never met a stranger.

Murphy said she and Peak were in the school’s pep squad and were inducted into the National Honor Society together.

“I can remember walking the halls, I can remember being in pep squad, I remember again that smile her spirit, she spoke to people but also how quickly she got involved in school.”

During high school, Peak also was involved in band and the Future Teachers Association. She later became a teacher.

“I think she was committed to children and she was committed to the love of learning and education.”

The Associated Press reported that Nashville songwriter Natalie Hemby posted on Instagram that Peak “taught me how to swim. Keep my head above water … which is what we’re all trying to do right now. ... And next time you jump in a pool on a beautiful summer day, and find yourself floating and looking at the sky, please think of my friend, Cindy Peak.”

Her family issued a statement saying their “hearts are broken,” and called Peak “a pillar of the community, and a teacher beloved by all her students.”

“She never wavered in her faith and we know she is wrapped in the arms of Jesus,” the statement said.

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