Three youngsters and three adults have been killed in a taking pictures at a non-public non secular college in Nashville, authorities stated.
The shooter, who police stated was a white 28-year-old from the Nashville space, was shot useless by two officers. Police initially recognized the shooter as a girl however a spokesperson later informed WPLN’s Alexis Marshall that the shooter was assigned feminine at start and used he/him pronouns.
The taking pictures occurred at The Covenant College. The three youngsters who died have been college students, and the three adults who died have been workers members, Nashville police spokesperson Don Aaron stated in a press briefing Monday.
Authorities recognized the victims Monday afternoon:
- Evelyn Dieckhaus, age 9
- Hallie Scruggs, age 9
- William Kinney, age 9
- Cynthia Peak, age 61
- Katherine Koonce, age 60
- Mike Hill, age 61
Koonce served as the pinnacle of the varsity, in keeping with the varsity’s web site.
The primary name got here in at 10:13 a.m. The shooter “entered the varsity by means of a facet entrance and traversed her manner from the primary flooring to the second flooring, firing a number of photographs,” Aaron stated.
On Monday night, Nashville police posted pictures of the scene. Police stated the shooter entered the constructing by taking pictures out the glass in a door. As soon as on the second flooring, the shooter fired at arriving police autos from a window.
The shooter had two assault-style rifles and one pistol, authorities stated, and the taking pictures happened in a “lobby-type space” in an higher a part of the varsity. The shooter was useless by 10:27 a.m., Aaron added. Two of these weapons have been obtained legally, police stated.
Police stated the shooter was a former scholar however haven’t stated something a couple of potential motive. On Monday afternoon, police recognized the shooter as Audrey Hale of Nashville. Hale had no felony historical past.
Hale had a number of rounds of ammunition and was “ready for a confrontation with regulation enforcement,” Nashville Police Chief John Drake stated. He stated the shooter had maps drawn of the varsity and its entry factors.
Drake stated the mother and father of the youngsters who have been killed have been notified. “I used to be actually moved to tears to see this and the youngsters as they have been being ushered out of the constructing,” he stated earlier.
At the very least 5 of the victims have been transported to emergency departments at Vanderbilt College Medical Middle. A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed to NPR that three youngsters and two adults despatched to the hospital had died.
Aaron stated he was not conscious of every other gunshot victims from the taking pictures. He stated a responding officer had a wound from minimize glass.
A reunification heart for fogeys and college students was arrange close by with psychological well being specialists accessible.
In response to its web site, The Covenant College is a non-public college related to the Covenant Presbyterian Church serving college students from preschool by means of sixth grade. On an everyday day there could be about 209 college students and 42 workers members on the college, Aaron stated.
Mayor John Cooper stated Nashville was becoming a member of the “dreaded, lengthy record” of cities and cities which have suffered college shootings.
“My coronary heart goes out to the households of the victims,” Cooper stated. “Our complete metropolis stands with you.”
Tennessee state Rep. Bob Freeman, whose district consists of the varsity, stated it was “an unimaginable tragedy for the victims, all the youngsters, households, academics, workers and my complete group. I dwell across the nook from Covenant and go by it usually. I’ve buddies who attend each church and college there. I’ve additionally visited the church previously. It tears my coronary heart aside to see this,” WPLN reported.
State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, who represents Nashville, stated on Twitter: “My coronary heart breaks for the households at Covenant. As a father or mother, I each ache for them and rage with them that concern of this sort of tragedy is simply accepted as simply a part of what it means to lift youngsters as of late.”
President Biden known as the Nashville taking pictures “sick” and “heartbreaking,” saying it was “a household’s worst nightmare.”
“We now have to do extra to cease gun violence. It is ripping our communities aside, ripping on the very soul of our nation,” he stated on the White Home.
In response to the nationwide Gun Violence Archive web site, there have been 130 mass shootings within the U.S. this 12 months.