Five officers from the MetroNashville Police Department initially descended upon The Covenant School after a call about an active shooter came in at 10:13 a.m., and by 10:27 a.m. the attacker had been gunned down,police said. When . 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Bill Lee said in a recorded address Tuesday night, his first extended comments on the shooting. On the day of the March 27 shooting, Police Chief John Drake told NBC News that Hale may have targeted Covenant because theres some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school. He noted that the investigation was still in its early stages. "We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.". While police are still working to determine a motive for the attack, they said in a news release that writings left behind by Hale make clear that it was calculated and planned. Hale targeted the school and Covenant Presbyterian Church, to which the school is attached, police said, but its believed the victims were fired upon at random. This one hits close to home, Joiner said. gaining entry to the building by firing through the buildings locked glass doors, Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs. The attack took place at The Covenant School, a private . "I can't do anything except plead with Congress to act reasonably.". Adrienne Battle, the director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, opened a Tuesday night school board meeting by sharing a few thoughts about the shooting. One woman dropped to her knees as she laid a bouquet of flowers down, burying her head in her hands and wiping tears from her eyes. The school is on the campus of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the city's Green Hills neighborhood, about 9 miles southeast of downtown Nashville. Policing experts said its essential that officials are mindful of what they tell the public, especially since an investigation is so fluid. Goodbye Mike, Im going to miss those encouraging texts out of the blue from you.". NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A former student shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school Monday and killed three children and three adults after elaborately planning the massacre by drawing out a detailed map and conducting surveillance of the building, police said. Having responded to mass shooting at Virginia Tech, Orlandos Pulse Night Club and the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Jeff Gorter, vice president of clinical crisis response with R3 Continuum, said finding a return to routine is a great coping mechanism strategy for adults. Erik Ortiz reported from Nashville and David K. Li from Los Angeles County. A shooter who killed three 9-year-old students and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville Monday had maps of the school, left behind writings and scouted a second. Around 9 a.m. Tuesday, a makeshift memorial was set up at the main drive that leads to Covenant School, which was otherwise blocked off by police. But somehow tomorrow the only thing we will agree on is the traffic. Hale wore a black vest over a white T-shirt, camouflage pants and a backwards red baseball cap in a video that showed only the shooter in the frame. The school's motto is "Shepherding hearts. A steady stream of traffic continued to roll down Burton Hills Boulevard under overcast skies. The website of school, a Presbyterian establishment founded in 2001, lists a Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. Hallie Scruggs was a student at the Covenant School. I'm very sad for her parents, because they losttheir child.". "We've got one down," he says before turning right down the hallway. All Rights Reserved. She saw one woman fall to her knees and grab her chest. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the shooting as a religious hate crime citing law enforcement reports that the shooter targeted the Christian school. "What happened at Covenant School was a tragedy beyond comprehension," Gov. Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. Britney Grayson was moments away from the shooting Monday. The school is on the campus of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the city's Green Hills neighborhood, about 9 miles southeast of downtown Nashville. Published We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie," Mark Davis, senior pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, said in a statement. "Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need.. Senators, Mayor John Cooper, and MNPD chief John Drake. Local congressman's family photo draws criticism, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "As it turns out, she had been hiding several weapons within the house,'' Drake said, adding that law enforcement was not aware of Hale before the shooting. First lady Jill Biden also addressed the shootingas she opened the National League of Cities event in Washington. The school is kind of situated sideways, if you will. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. The Zion community, mirroring the Covenant community, also houses a school, Zion Christian Academy, serving over 520 students in grades Pre-K-12. He added: Now I know therell be people who want to criticise us for prayers. It's next door to a Nashville Fire Department stationand less than a mile south of Nashville's largest shopping district. Spare us the hand-wringing," Cash said on Twitter. More notably, he was "Big Mike" to his students, who will surely feel his loss in the years to come," Anne Puricelli, the page organizer, wrote on the fundraiser page. I was hoping this day would never, ever come here in the city, Drake said Monday, but we would never wait to make entry and go in and stop a threat, especially when it deals with our children.. Battle praised the emergency response to the shooting and acknowledged the deep grief it's brought on for those affected. Police also confirmed that there is no motive at this timethe previously found manifesto in Hales vehicle on scene had talks about the school, a map, a drawing of entry points and assaults that would take place., Drake added that no specific student or faculty member was targeted in the attack. Hardcastle, a middle school art teacher, last ran into Hale a month ago in downtown Nashville at a show by their mutual friend and radio personality Averianna Patton. Following a deadly school shooting last month, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have passed a proposal that would protect gun and ammunition dealers . For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Police quickly worked through the first floor clearing classrooms and encouraging each other to move faster. Read more here. "I pray God keeps and covers you. Surveillance video shows him carrying and aiming an assault rifle as he walks hallways. IE 11 is not supported. Most came from the body camera of officer Rex Engelbert. Hale's social media content will also be analyzed. A candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday night at Public Square Park to honor the victims of Monday's shooting. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on Monday night released images of three weapons, as well as footage of the suspect driving and parking at the building, allegedly shooting through the door and walking around inside the facility while holding a gun. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. At least one of those was described by police as a "sawed-off shotgun," some of which can be. The shooter had planned the attack for months, according to those journals, which police said were located in the attackers car and bedroom. "We stand, all of us, with Nashville in prayer.". (Metro Nashville Police Department) Law enforcement officers lead children away from the scene of a shooting at The. Three other verified funds are also available for support relief on GoFundMe's website. Three children and three adult staff members were slain at a Nashville school Monday in one of Tennessee's deadliest school shootings. MNPD said Audrey Hale shot at officers from a second-story window when they arrived at the school Monday morning. "How is this still happening? The assault also marks the 89th shooting on K-12 school grounds in 2023 an average of one every day according to theK-12 School Shooting Database. A news release identified the officers who made the fatal shots as Rex Englebert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and nine-year veteran Michael Collazo. All rights reserved. Hallie Scruggs was a student at the Covenant School. David Rausch, the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, told attendees at a Tennessee Sheriffs Association meeting last week that the handwritten journals were ramblings, and the entries made no mention of specific political, religious or social issues, reported the CBS affiliate WTVF in Nashville. He said some children evacuated to a wood line behind the school, while some went to a fire hall. There were shots all over the floor before [the shooter] went to the upper level. The photo, which remained on the congressman's Facebook page as of Monday night, shows his wife and two of his three children smiling and holding firearms in front of a Christmas tree. The vigil will start at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at 1 Public Square Park in Nashville. On Monday night, Tennessee's first lady Maria Lee was set to have dinner with one of her best friends, Cindy Peak, an old colleague from her teacher days who planned to spend the day as a substitute teacher at The Covenant School. Metro Nashville Police Department released body camera video showing officers arriving at The Covenant School where six were killed. "We're sure that they heard the chaos thatwas surrounding this," she said. The shooter was killed by responding officers, police said. Floral tributes are left at a memorial outside the entrance to the Covenant School on Wednesday. Biden ordered the American flag at the White House to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims. Koonce earned a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, according to the school website. MNPD OFFICERS ON THE SCENE:Who are the Nashville officers who killed the Covenant School shooting suspect? Drake said: I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building. Police later released security footage of the shooter firing at a glass school door to gain access before moving through the corridors, carrying what appeared to be a rifle. Dr Shamendar Talwar, a social psychologist from the United Kingdom who is working on an unrelated mental health project in Nashville, raced to the church as soon as he heard news of the shooting to offer help. No one else was wounded, Aaron said. Police said Hale was armed with "significant ammunition.". Grayson pulled out of the parking lot about 10:12 a.m., she said. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released a list of items belonging to the shooter, including two shotguns, cellphones and laptops, as well as a suicide note, three folders and 19 journals. The shooter, identified as former student Audrey Hale, acted totally alone, Metro Nashville Police said in the Monday update. The Covenant school has about 209 students from pre-school through sixth grade and 42 staff members, Aaron said. Do something,'" Patton said. The shooter was named as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, and from Nashville. Drake said the officers were trying to decompress the day after the shooting. He also said Hale identified as transgender. Evil is very real. Media tents lining the sidewalk across the street stretch for blocks. I just know what kind of guy he was. Averianna Patton told The Tennessean on Tuesday that she received messages from Hale at 9:57 a.m. while on Covenant School property, apologizing and stating that Hale wanted to die. At the state level, Tennessee in 2021 did away with its permit requirement for carrying a concealed handgun and now allows anyone aged 21 and older to carry a firearm, either openly or concealed, without a permit, as long as they are legally allowed to purchase the weapon. During one call, made at 10:13 a.m., a woman in an art room closet inside . A former middle school basketball teammate says she receiveda message from Hale on Instagram at 9:57 a.m. Monday less than 20 minutes before the first 911 calls from the school. Creaig Dunton, an associate professor of criminal justice atWestern New England University, said releasing the personal writings of a mass shooter is a "double-edged sword" and can be problematic because it gives the person what they craved: attention. People gather at a makeshift memorial for victims outside the Covenant school building. "Suspect down, suspect down," Collazo calls over the radio. (modern), Six people killed by shooter at school in Nashville video. "We will continue to confront our grief. We dont know if gender identity played a part, but theres a conversation to be had that speaks to societys continual rejection and conflict over ones identity that can lead to this disconnect and frustration, Dunton said. According to a tweet from Nashville police, the shooter had "significant ammunition. Chief John Drake previously said during a news conference that during a search of the home she shared with her father on Brightwood Avenue, officers found a "manifesto" and drawn maps of the school with entrances and security cameras noted. Balloons, stuffed animals, notes and candles also lined the wall. Without referencing Uvalde, Drake made it clear standing around for more than an hour in an active-shooter situation was not an option. Hallie was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, who is the lead pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to a statement from his former church in Dallas. "What happened at Covenant School was a tragedy beyond comprehension," Tennessee Gov. " We strongly believe there were going to be other targets, including maybe family members and one of the malls here in Nashville.". Officials have not said when they might release the contents of several journals recovered in Hales family home after the attack, in which six people, including three young children, were gunned down. Three children and two adults were takento Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt with gunshot wounds, and all fivewere pronounced dead there, said Craig Boerner, spokesperson forVanderbilt University Medical Center. "Arent you tired of this," she said, taking over the microphones after a news conference. Several vigils were held Monday night across Nashville in honor of the victims and their families. What is The Covenant School in Nashville? A police spokesperson describes. Police initially identified Hale by his birth name and gender. Nothing in the brief encounter at Patton's show gave Hardcastle any belief something was going to go horrifically wrong. It's not logical," said the woman, who asked not to be named out of fear of online reprisals. ", Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked first responders and medical professionals and said his "heart goes out to the families of the victims." "I've seen too many of these myself," Biden said. "I've left behind more than enough evidence behind. Hardcastle struggled to reconcile the kind teenager she knew a decade ago as the same person who fatally shot three 9-year-olds, a school administrator, a custodian and a substitute teacher Monday. "It's sick," Biden said, addressing the issue during an event at the White House and urging Congress again to pass a ban on assault-style weapons. Police identified the student victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9. Fallout from the Covenant shooting was swift and dovetailed into the political crossfires resulting in the expulsion of two state lawmakers who protested gun violence inside the state Capitol before they were reinstated days later. "We have to do more to stop gun violence. He wrote on Twitter:"In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting. "Outstanding job @MNPDNashville,''the Fort Worth (Texas) Police Officers' Association said in a tweet. Drake said the attacker did not appear to be targeting anyone specifically at the school, where Halehad been a student. Folks just need to be patient., He added that he has concerns about releasing the writings out of fear that someone else with a mental illness picks it up and uses it as a plan. What we know about Covenant School shooting in Nashville. Thats the way we do that in the south. There have been 130mass shootings in the U.S. this calendar year, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as at least four peopleinjured. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. "In this moment, we remember that we are one Nashville, regardless of our school affiliation.". We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church," the school said in a statement Monday night. Grief-stricken Nashville residents came together for a vigil Wednesday to mourn three 9-year-old children and three adults killed in the mass shooting at a private Christian school. Hale, who police said was under care for an emotional disorder, had legally purchased seven firearms and hidden them at home, per Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake. WHAT IS AN 'ASSAULT WEAPON'? Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, said on Twitter that her office stands "ready to assist" those affected by the shooting. At 10:13 a.m., Hale fired the first shot inside the school. On March 27, 2023, a mass school shooting occurred at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian Church in America parochial elementary school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee.Aiden Hale, a transgender man and former student of the school, killed three nineyearold children and three adults before being shot and killed by two Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD . Neither of the two officers who fired on the shooter, Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo, had been in a similar situation, MNPD chief John Drake said Tuesday. Police identified the victims of the shooting on Monday afternoon as: The Covenant School shooting:Who are the victims? There are pieces to this whole story that we dont know and I dont know if it will ever give us closure or answers.. When speaking to News 2, Drake didn't shy away from what he believes needs to be done to reduce these crimes. The shooter was dead by 10.27am. ARMED CONGRESSMAN: Andy Ogles, GOP congressman representing Nashville, criticized for posing with guns in family Christmas photo. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database resource, there have been at least 89 instances of gun violence at kindergarten through 12th-grade schools or during school activities in the US this year. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., whose district includesthe site ofMonday's mass shooting, received widespreadcriticism from gun control advocates for a Christmas photo he postedin 2021 of his family posing with guns. Kendra Loney, a spokesperson with Metro Fire, said rescue crews responded and tried to save lives. Two officers from a five-member team shot the assailant in a lobby area, and the suspect was pronounced dead by 10:27 a.m. [1/12]A child weeps while on the bus leaving The Covenant School, following a mass shooting at the school in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 27, 2023. "I have literally mind-blowing moments like, 'What in the world? The shooting at the Covenant school in Nashville was the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country that has grown increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools. "I am truly without words and our children deserve better," she said. The attacker in Monday's shooting purchased seven firearms legally and was under medical care for an unspecified "emotional disorder,''Drake said at a Tuesday news briefing. Celebrating Childhood.". The shooting was just the latest such horrific event. We will respond with resilience to these events, but we are called to be a little more intentional and specific in how we cope with them, Gorter said. He said Hale left behind extensive writingsbut no motive for the shooting has been determined. Todd McGhee, a 24-year veteran with the Massachusetts State Police, said MNPD's response is a prime example of how a swift response can save lives. A shooting at a private religious grade school in Nashville, Tennessee, left three adults and three 9-year-olds dead on March 27. Her LinkedIn online profile says she has led the school since July 2016. "You vote against every common sense gun control bill that comes across your desk, you've taken over $1 million from the NRA and you rank 14th in all Congress for NRA contributions. Officers were reviewing video from the school, he said. John Oliver Argues for Gun Control in Wake of Nashville School Mass Shooting: "Change Is Long Overdue". Im just in shock and disbelief, wrote Hill. 2. He added:"All of Tennessee was hurt yesterday, but some parents woke up without children, children woke up without parents and without teachers, and spouses woke up without their loved ones. Averianna Patton told WTVF-TVshe saw the message that Hale planned to die by suicide and that Patton would see it on the news. Church staff passed out water, directed parents to the bathrooms and took out the trash. In response to the shooting, the school said it will continue to prioritize the well-being of the community and asked for privacy as community members process the incident. Dickson County Sheriff Tim Eads, who attended the meeting in which Rausch spoke about the case, said Rausch found "no clear motive" in the writings that have been analyzed. Harold Love Jr. will speak at the event. Hale attended Covenant, a pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade private school, at around 10 years old, a former headmaster said. "It's ripping our communities apart ripping at the very soul of our nation. Hale was a former student at The Covenant School, according to police. "It could have been as bad as Uvalde, based on what Hale had for firepower.". onager advantages and disadvantages, hastings regional center tunnels, uber trujillo net worth,
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