Nashville school shooting: 3 children, 3 adults killed at Covenant School; female shooter dead

A shooter opened hearth at a non-public Christian grade school in Nashville on Monday, killing 3 kids and 3 adults, officers mentioned. The suspected shooter used to be fatally shot through police at Covenant School within the town’s Green Hills group, government mentioned.

Authorities have identified the sufferers as 9-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, and 61-year-old Mike Hill. All 3 adults labored at the school. Police identified the shooter as Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old from Nashville, who officers mentioned used to be armed with at least two attack guns and a handgun.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake mentioned their initial investigation into the capturing indicated that it used to be a focused assault. The probe instructed that the shooter used to be at one time a pupil at the school, even supposing Drake didn’t know precisely when they are going to have attended.

Police came upon “a manifesto” in addition to “maps drawn of the school in detail,” in step with the executive.

“We’ve also determined there were maps drawn of the school in detail of surveillance, entry points, etc. We know and believe that entry was gained by shooting through one of the doors, is how they actually got into the school,” Drake mentioned. Police later launched surveillance video appearing the suspect capturing throughout the glass panes at the doorways and getting into the construction. 

Drake described the guns used to carry out the shooting as two “AR-style weapons” — a rifle and a pistol — along with every other handgun. Authorities imagine that two of the guns could have been acquired legally and in the neighborhood, in step with the police leader.

Drake showed previous on Monday that the 3 kids had been known and their households have been contacted.

“Right now I will refrain from saying the ages, other than to say, I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building,” Drake mentioned at the time. Officials established a reunification middle within reach the place scholars within the school had been transported within the aftermath of the capturing.

“When we send our kids to school, or to any place of safety, we expect them to live, learn, have fun and come back from that day’s experience. We don’t anticipate things like this,” he informed newshounds in a while Monday afternoon.

Officers entered the primary tale of the school construction and started to transparent it after they heard gunfire on the second one stage, mentioned Don Aaron, a spokesperson for Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The officials moved upstairs and, in step with a statement launched overdue Monday night time, noticed the shooter firing at arriving police vehicles. At that time, they “engaged” the shooter, who used to be fatally shot through two of the 5 responding cops at the scene, Aaron mentioned. Police later known the ones officials as Rex Englebert, who have been with the dep. for 4 years, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year veteran of the MNPD.

The shooter entered Covenant School thru a facet door and traversed the construction, transferring from the primary flooring to the second one flooring and “firing multiple shots,”

Covenant is a non-public Christian school in Nashville for preschool thru sixth grade, CBS associate WTVF reported. Last 12 months, the school held an lively shooter coaching program, the station reported.

Special brokers at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had been additionally concerned within the reaction.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee mentioned he used to be “closely monitoring the tragic situation at Covenant” within the wake of the capturing, along state regulation enforcement and freeway patrol officials.

“I am closely monitoring the tragic situation at Covenant, & the @TNDeptofSafety & @TNHighwayPatrol are assisting local law enforcement & first responders at the scene,” the governor wrote on Twitter. “As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community.”

President Joe Biden addressed the capturing in televised remarks on Monday afternoon.

“It’s sick,” he mentioned. “It’s heartbreaking. A family’s worst nightmare.”

Mr. Biden mentioned the management is “monitoring the situation really closely” earlier than once more calling on Congress to move his attack guns ban, as he did after the mass capturing in Monterey Park, California, in January.

“We have to do more to stop gun violence,” he endured. “It’s ripping our communities apart and ripping at the very soul of the nation.”

Mr. Biden on Monday night time ordered flags be flown at half-staff till Friday night time in honor of the sufferers.

Mr. Biden has spoken with each Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Nashville Mayor John Cooper concerning the capturing, in step with the White House.

First Lady Jill Biden additionally said the school capturing in remarks given right through the National League of Cities convention, and mentioned that she is “truly without words.”

“Our children deserve better,” Biden endured. “We stand, all of us, we stand with Nashville in prayer.”