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[April 20, 2026] NASHVILLE, TN – As we commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 19th – 25th), there is a new resource available to support victims of mass violence in Middle Tennessee. The Heart House is now open in Williamson County. This location, through Tennessee Voices for Victims, provides free specialized services for families impacted by mass violence events, and is a valuable resource supported by District Attorneys General across Tennessee.
“We do strive for justice for victims,” said General Stacey Edmonson, District Attorney for the 21st Judicial District (Williamson County). She toured Heart House during their recent Housewarming event. “Helping them [victims] to navigate the system and trying to be understanding. It is a blessing I think for those families that they have a place like this.”
“One of our goals as a criminal justice system is to try to work with victims, provide the support that they need, so they can achieve real healing,” said General Glenn Funk, District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District (Davidson County). “Heart House is going to be an important part of that healing process.”
The Heart House offers free trauma-informed therapy, specialized counseling and peer support groups. Tennessee Voices for Victims co-founder, Verna Wyatt, says those services are available for anyone who has also moved to Tennessee after experiencing a mass violence event elsewhere, noting that the effects of severe trauma can linger decades after a violent event.
“They [victims] need to know that we’re there for them, not only short-term, but long-term,” said Gen. Jared Effler, District Attorney for the 8th Judicial District. “Those families, they’re dealing with that literally for the rest of their lives, and I think that’s why Heart House is so innovative. As prosecutors, it’s imperative on us to make sure that the victims are always heard.”
News outlets requesting media handout footage of Heart House or any of the interviews seen in the video above can reach out to Brandi Hitt via email (bmhitt@tndagc.org).
About the TNDAGC
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to provide for a more prompt and efficient administration of justice in the courts of the state. It is composed of the elected District Attorneys General from the state’s 32 judicial districts.