An Auburn school is mourning the death of Cynthia Peak, a devoted mother and educator who was among the seven people killed at the Covenant School shooting in Nashville on Monday.

Peak, called “Cindy” by friends and family, was an active fixture at Auburn’s Lee-Scott Academy, where her three children attended before recently moving to Nashville. Flags flew at half-staff at the school this week, as well as at the Alabama capitol, in memory of the victims, according to WSFA.

“She was just a light in darkness,” Head of School Stan Cox told AL.com Friday. “She tried to do anything to encourage anyone. She always included everybody. She was just a joy to be around.”

Cox said Peak was heavily involved in school activities, and student athletes often called her the “unofficial team mom.” She was known for her “delightful sense of humor,” he said, and was a thoughtful “sounding board” among school staff and leaders.

“You could always count on Cindy, always,” he said.

Peak was substitute teaching at the Covenant School on Monday when she, along with two other adults and three children, were killed by an active shooter, who was later killed by police. Peak was 61 years old.

The incident marked America’s 129th mass shooting of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

In a statement to the Tennessean Thursday afternoon, Peak’s family called her a “beloved” educator and mother of three who poured into the lives of everyone around her.

“Our hearts are broken to confirm the loss of our beloved Cindy Peak,” the statement read. “Cindy was a pillar of the community and a teacher beloved by all her students. Her favorite roles in life were being a mom to her three children, a wife to her husband and an educator to her students.

“We will never stop missing her. We are grateful for the hope of Heaven. She never wavered in her faith, and we know she is wrapped in the arms of Jesus. Our hearts go out to all the victims’ families as we grieve this horrific tragedy.”

In a video statement released Tuesday evening, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Peak was supposed to have dinner with his wife, Maria, after filling in as a substitute teacher at Covenant.

“Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends,” Lee said, adding that Peak his wife had once taught together and “have been family friends for decades.”

In interviews with The Associated Press, friends described Peak as a loving friend and natural teacher.

She was “a sweet person from a sweet family,” said Chuck Owen, who told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that they grew up together in Leesville, Louisiana, and that Peak was a lifelong friend.

When he heard that Peak was killed in the shooting, “It took my breath away,” Owen said. “You don’t expect something like this. It just took the wind out of me.”

Peak was born and raised in Louisiana and received her degree in education from Texas Christian University, according to her obituary. She met her husband, Selma native Chris Peak, in Nashville.

The family moved to Auburn around 2014 before returning to Tennessee in 2019 – but in many ways, it was almost like they never left Alabama, Cox said.

Peak’s husband and her daughter are Auburn University graduates, and her son is a current Auburn student. The Peaks still attended Lee-Scott alumni events and kept in touch with staff, Cox said.

“Monday was just a really weird day. It was really a quiet day, because you hear about school shootings and other tragedies like that, but you really don’t know them,” he said. “And this is someone we knew, someone who had been in our buildings, whose children have been here… It was just different this time – it just made everything more real.”

Cox said he is praying for the family, and he hopes Peak’s memory can be a model for others to follow.

“It’s important that we cherish each minute that we have with our loved ones,” he said. “We’re never promised tomorrow, so let’s make the most of today and let’s be a light in the community. And let’s have a positive impact on people we come into contact with.”

A funeral for Peak is scheduled for noon Saturday, April 1 at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. She is survived by her husband, Chris; children, Drew, Ellie and Matthew Peak, Stacey and Jett Williams, and Christopher and Ashley Peak.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.