Amina “Anna” Pierce spent seven years teaching biology to ninth graders at Hunters Lane High School in Nashville, Tennessee, and became known across the school for the kind of mentorship that outlasted a single class period. On the morning of Father’s Day, June 15, 2025, the 30-year-old was found dead in a Nashville condo alongside her husband, 46-year-old Steven Pierce, in what Metro Nashville Police called an apparent murder-suicide.
Her death devastated the Hunters Lane community and reignited local conversation about domestic violence in Middle Tennessee. This article lays out what has actually been confirmed about Amina Pierce, drawn only from police statements, her school’s tribute, and her family’s own account.
Who was Amina Pierce?
Amina “Anna” Darbashi Pierce was a 30-year-old biology teacher and tennis coach at Hunters Lane High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where she’d taught for seven years. She was known for her work with ninth graders and for growing the school’s tennis program, and she was also working toward a principal’s license.
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She died on Father’s Day, June 15, 2025, in what Metro Nashville Police called an apparent murder-suicide — she was fatally shot by her husband, 46-year-old Steven Pierce, who then killed himself. Police said the two had reportedly argued about divorce and financial issues beforehand. Her family says there were no warning signs. She left behind three daughters: two young biological daughters and her husband’s 17-year-old daughter, whom she had adopted.
Her Career and Ambitions at Hunters Lane High School
Pierce wasn’t only focused on the classroom. According to Kessler, she had developed a genuine interest in school leadership and was actively working toward her administrative licensure with the goal of one day becoming a principal herself. She also became an informal resource for fellow teachers who were parents, helping them figure out how to balance classroom demands with raising young kids at home. That dual role, as both educator and mentor to colleagues, is part of why her school community described her loss as being felt so widely.
Where Amina Pierce Taught
Amina Pierce caught from Hunters Lane High School sits at 1150 Hunters Lane in Nashville and is a comprehensive public high school operated by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools that opened in 1986.
As of the 2023 to 2024 school year, the school enrolled roughly 1,394 students across grades nine through twelve, with Kessler serving as executive principal. Pierce joined the school’s faculty seven years before her death and became one of its more visible teacher-coaches through her work with the tennis program.
What Happened on Father’s Day 2025
Metro Nashville Police said officers responded to a shooting call at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 15, 2025, at a condominium on 31st Avenue North in West Nashville. Investigators found Amina and Steven Pierce dead inside, with a revolver recovered from underneath Steven Pierce’s body.
Police said a preliminary investigation indicated the couple had argued about divorce and financial issues before Steven Pierce shot and killed his wife and then himself. Officials also confirmed that MNPD’s Domestic Violence Division had no prior involvement with the couple before that morning.
A Prior Legal History Surfaces
In the days after the shooting, reporting surfaced a 2017 court filing involving a man named Steven Pierce who matched the suspect’s age and address. That earlier filing was a divorce petition accusing him of “erratic and violent behavior toward her and the minor child.” It remains unclear from public reporting how that 2017 case was ultimately resolved, or whether it involved Amina Pierce directly, since the filing predates her marriage timeline as reported. No law enforcement agency has confirmed how, or if, that filing connects to the events of June 2025.
Her Family Says There Were No Warning Signs
Amina Pierce’s mother, Lora Darbashi, spoke publicly in the days following her daughter’s death and said the family saw no warning signs that Steven Pierce would kill her. That account adds an important layer to the case, since it suggests the danger wasn’t something visible to the people closest to her, a pattern domestic violence advocates say is common even in relationships that look stable from the outside.
The Children Amina Pierce Left Behind
Public statements about Pierce’s family have varied slightly depending on the source, and it’s worth being precise here rather than repeating a simplified version. Metro Nashville Public Schools’ official tribute described her as “a devoted mother of two girls.”
Her family’s own account, shared through WKRN, clarified that the couple leaves behind three daughters total: two young biological daughters, ages two and four, along with Steven Pierce’s 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, whom Amina had helped raise as an adoptive mother.
Community and School Reaction
Metro Nashville Public Schools released a statement mourning her loss, calling her “a beloved biology teacher and tennis coach at Hunters Lane High School” and extending condolences to her family and the school community. Dr. Kessler’s own tribute went further, describing her as someone whose “commitment to kids, love of our school and her dedication” would be deeply missed. The statement closed by noting that the thoughts of the school community were with everyone who loved her.
Domestic Violence Advocates Respond
Pierce’s death came the same weekend as a second fatal domestic violence case in Nashville, prompting local advocates to speak out. Dr. Daffany Baker, senior vice president of domestic violence services at YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee, told WKRN that domestic violence is fundamentally about power and control. Baker added that the fact the victim was a teacher, someone whose job is to protect and educate children, made the case feel especially painful to the broader community.
What’s Confirmed About Her Personal Life
Public reporting confirms that Amina “Anna” Darbashi Pierce was 30 years old at the time of her death, had taught for seven years at Hunters Lane High School, was married to 46-year-old Steven Pierce, and was raising three daughters, two of them very young. Her mother, Lora Darbashi, has spoken to media on the family’s behalf. Beyond these confirmed points, details such as her exact date of birth, hometown, education history prior to becoming a teacher, or extended family beyond her mother have not been made public, and this piece does not guess at them.
A Note on Missing Details
A standard celebrity-style biography template calls for a physical appearance section, a full personal information table, and a list of social media handles. None of that has been publicly confirmed for Amina Pierce, and none of it appears here. She was not a public figure by choice, and inventing measurements, family names, or online profiles for her would misrepresent a real domestic violence case to readers searching for accurate information about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Amina Pierce die?
Metro Nashville Police say she was fatally shot by her husband, Steven Pierce, in an apparent murder-suicide at a Nashville condo on the morning of Father’s Day, June 15, 2025.
How old was Amina Pierce?
She was 30 years old at the time of her death. Her husband, Steven Pierce, was 46.
What did Amina Pierce do for a living?
She taught biology at Hunters Lane High School in Nashville and coached the school’s tennis team for seven years.
Did Amina Pierce have children?
Yes. Her family says she was raising three daughters: two young biological daughters, ages two and four, and her husband’s 17-year-old daughter, whom she had adopted.
What sparked the murder-suicide?
Police said the couple had reportedly argued about divorce and financial issues before the shooting occurred.
Had police been involved with the couple before?
No. Metro Nashville Police said their Domestic Violence Division had no prior contact with Amina or Steven Pierce before June 15, 2025.
Did Amina Pierce’s family see this coming?
No. Her mother, Lora Darbashi, told media there were no warning signs that Steven Pierce posed a danger to her daughter.
Was there a prior legal history involving Steven Pierce?
Reporting surfaced a 2017 divorce filing involving a man matching Steven Pierce’s age and address that alleged violent behavior, though it has not been officially confirmed to connect to this case.
Where did Amina Pierce work?
She worked at Hunters Lane High School, a public high school in Nashville serving roughly 1,400 students in grades nine through twelve.
How did the Hunters Lane community respond?
The school and Metro Nashville Public Schools both issued statements mourning her, describing her as a beloved teacher, coach, and mentor to students and fellow staff.
Conclusion
Amina Pierce’s story, as told through police statements, her school’s tribute, and her own family, is that of a dedicated teacher and mother whose life was cut short by domestic violence. The confirmed facts around Amina Pierce center on her seven years at Hunters Lane High School, the three daughters she leaves behind, and the circumstances Metro Nashville Police have disclosed about her death on Father’s Day 2025.
Readers looking for more should rely on continuing coverage from local Nashville outlets rather than unverified claims, since this remains an active area of public interest with limited official detail released so far.
