6 Killed at Nashville school shooting
Nashville school shooting
Nashville school shooting The gunman was also killed Monday morning after police responded to Covenant School, authorities said.
A 28-year-old man shot and killed three children and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville on Monday, leaving the school and its safety protocols in writing and documents, officials said. Detailed map. In the latest episode of gun violence to ravage American homes and communities, gunmen opened fire just after . Lessons before the Easter holidays.
Police identified the shooter as Audrey E. According to Nashville Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake, Hale entered the building by shooting through a side door, carrying two assault weapons and a handgun, then went to the second floor and was shot before police killed him.
Chief Drake said the gunman was a “student” at the school. Surveillance video released by police late Monday showed the gunman arriving at the school in a vehicle police described as a Honda Fit. In the clip, bullets shatter two sets of glass doors and the attackers slide into the building through the broken glass.
The attacker, dressed in camouflage pants, a black vest and a red baseball cap, turned his back and walked through the rooms and hallways with a gun. At one point, the gunman could be seen walking in and out of the church office, as well as in the hallway past the children’s ministry, flashing what appeared to be fire alarm lights.
Confused about the gender identity of the attacker immediately after the attack. Chief Drake said the shooter was identified as transgender. Officials used the names “she” and “her” to refer to the shooter, but in recent months the shooter appears to have been identified as a man based on social media posts and LinkedIn profiles.
Nashville police identified the six victims as Evelyn Dickhouse, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, the adults are Cynthia Peek, 61, a substitute teacher; Mike Hill, 61, guardian; and Catherine Kunce, 60. According to the school’s website, Dr. Principal of Koonce School. Hallie Scruggs is the daughter of Covenant Presbyterian Pastor Chad Scruggs, according to a biography published by his former church in Dallas. Covenant Presbyterian Church is attached to the elementary school.
Chief Drake said it was too early to talk about a possible motive for the shooting, but confirmed the attack was targeted. Chief Drake said authorities are reviewing the articles and have been in contact with the gunman’s father.
“We’ve mapped out how that’s going to happen,” he said. “There’s a theory right now that we can talk about later, but it hasn’t been proven yet, so we’ll release it as soon as possible.”
The shooting devastated the affluent enclave of Green Hills, a few miles south of downtown Nashville, where the hilltop residential neighborhood of small schools and stone churches is filled with stately homes and lush landscaping. Founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Covenant School claims to have about 200 students with an 8-to-1 student-teacher ratio, according to its website. Annual tuition is approximately $16,000.
The wails of sirens and helicopters broke the stillness of the sunny spring morning, forcing area residents to flee their homes as they waited for news of the shooting or assurances that their children at nearby schools had lifted their lockdowns. A few women gathered around the live press conference, gasping and shaking their heads.
“It’s pretty scary when you see your parents running up the hill,” said Lisa DeBusk, 43, who lives in Green Hills. She said she was considering sending her daughter to the pact, calling it the “loveliest, most wonderful place.”
Police spokesman Don Aarons said officers received reports of the shooting at 10:13 a.m. and heard gunshots coming from the second floor when they arrived at the school. Police went there and saw the gunman open fire, and two officers shot and killed the gunman at 10:27 a.m. in a “hall-like area” on the second floor, Aaron said. He said the school is not guarded by the police.
Nashville Fire Department spokeswoman Kendra Loney said school children and school staff were escorted from the building after the shooting, and a total of 108 people were taken to nearby Woodmont Baptist Church.
The students, dressed in red and black polo uniforms, plaid skirts and khaki shorts and pants, were escorted by police as they walked hand-in-hand from the school bus and into a meeting room inside the church. Elsewhere in the building, parents waited to see if their children were safe.
Rachel Anne Elrod, president of the Nashville Metro School Board, said she was in “the worst waiting room you can imagine” as officials moved to reunite children with their parents. She said some discussed how to spend the rest of the day after such a harrowing morning. “They’re mostly figuring out how they’re going to talk to their kids about it,” Ms. Elrod said.
“What’s the next best step? So what should they do? Shall we take them for ice cream? Take them to the playground? We asked what they saw? Do we not ask what they saw? Shall we take them to school tomorrow? do you have class tomorrow “
Rachel Dibble, whose children attend another private school in Nashville, also visited with Covenant families, some of whom she knew from youth sports.
“This has to stop,” Ms. Dibble said of school shootings. “I want the politicians sitting down in the church with families and 250 children white as sheets in shock, shaking, grey, yellow, green and blue.”
Speaking of the students, she added: “They started this morning, they’re wearing cute little uniforms, they probably have some Froot Loops. Today, their whole life has changed. “
There is no consensus on what constitutes a mass shooting; different groups define it differently depending on the circumstances. But the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that uses police reports, news reports and other public sources to track gun violence, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are killed or injured. At the end of March, the archive listed 130 mass shootings in the US in 2023.
President Biden called the shooting in Nashville “disgusting” and “a family’s worst nightmare,” and on Monday he reiterated his call for Congress to pass gun control laws. He has repeatedly called for a ban on assault weapons, including during his recent visit to Monterey Park, California, after a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio in January.
“It’s time to start making some progress,” said Mr. Biden. While school shootings have become more common, shootings in the Pact are unusual.
Many of the most high-profile school shootings in recent years have occurred in public schools, in part because there are far more public schools in the U.S.: nearly 100,000 compared to about 30,000 private schools. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, shootings at elementary schools are relatively rare, accounting for less than 20 percent of school gun violence.
Most school gun violence, including active shooters, occurs in high schools. After spending time at Woodmont Baptist, Melissa Trevathan, Head of Counseling, mourned Dr. Koonce, whom she said she met through her work with children. Ms. Trevathan, who came to provide support with Pippa, a therapy dog in training, described Dr. Koonce as “very charismatic” and strong, recalling her passion for education, sense of humor and love of adventure.
