"Drake said two of the weapons were legally purchased in the Nashville area but did not specify which ones. In surveillance footage released by Nashville police late Monday, Hale is seendriving to the school. Britney Grayson was moments away from the shooting Monday. At 10:13 a.m., Hale fired the first shot inside the school. The Covenant School was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church and has students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. We have become aware of the reality that we spend most of our lives wanting to deny, that this world is not safe. ", In a Twitter statement, Tennessee Gov. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said he grew emotional as he witnessed the aftermath of the shooting. Possessing a handgun is outlawed in Tennessee for anybody who has been convicted of a felony offense involving violence or drugs. The attack marks the 89th shooting on K-12 school grounds in 2023, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. Footage from inside The Covenant School was provided by law enforcement showing multiple angles. He commended MNPD's swift response, and called for Congress to take action to pass a ban on assault weapons. Rachel Dibble, who was at the church as families found their children, described the scene as everyone being in complete shock. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Authorities released intensepolice body camera footage Tuesday from a deadly shooting rampage at a local Christian elementary schoolthat killed three students and three staffers. It's next door to a Nashville Fire Department stationand less than a mile south of Nashville's largest shopping district. The Nashville school shooter fell into an emotional spiral after the recent death of a close friend, ex-classmate says Friends of Audrey Hale, 28, still can't grasp how the "loving" teenager they. The officer rounded the corner and fired four shots. So the front door is actually on the side of the building. The threat was overby 10:27 a.m., police said. According to a tweet from Nashville police, the shooter had "significant ammunition. He said the suspect had no known prior criminal history. Lamenting the heartbreaking attack, Joe Biden repeated his call for Congress to pass meaningful gun control reform including an assault weapons ban. She'd wear a ball cap sometimes," Hardcastle said. Three children and three adult staff members were slain at a Nashville school Monday in one of Tennessee's deadliest school shootings. At least one of those was described by police as a "sawed-off shotgun," some of which can be. Police recovered a manifesto at Hale's residence on Monday following the shooting that included "some writings" and a map of the attack and possible other targets, police said. We believe in prayer and we believe in the power of prayer. Drake said investigators believed the shooting stemmed from some resentment the suspect harbored for having to go to that school as a younger person. In 2016, when Ava was in first grade, she walked out onto the playground behind Townville Elementary as an angry 14-year-old pulled up in a truck, raised a handgun and opened fire. 2. "This is the ultimate crime, when schoolchildren and caregivers are the victims of senseless gun violence," Glenn Funk, Davidson County District Attorney General, said in a newsconference. Covenant School community seeks prayer in wake of deadly mass shooting, How to help those affected by the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, What Vanderbilt's Clark Lea said about Nashville Covenant School shooting, Nashville police moved fast, saved lives in Covenant shooting, experts say, Channel 4 reporter 'immediately was taken back' to school shooting she witnessed in 2010, At the same time staff at Woodmont Baptist Church. Police said Hale, who was assigned female at birth but identified as a man,bought the firearms betweenOctober 2020 and June 2022. "Officers entered the first story of the school and begin clearing it. 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. For some of us, these are our friends., The senior pastor lost a daughter today, he said. 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. Officials with the FBI and special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene. "Our high school was really accepting of that.". deadly shooting rampage at a local Christian elementary school, Officers Engelbert, Collazo seen in body cam video hailed as heroes: Nashville school shooting live updates, Tennessee Gov. In 2020, guns overtook auto accidents as the leading cause of death among children and teens. ", Tennessee Gov. Hale is visible in the video but is partially obscured by a blurred box. Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. Don Aaron, a spokesperson for MNPD, said Hale was believed to have entered a side entrance around 10:13 a.m. Monday with two assault rifles and a handgun. 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. Armed with two AR-style weapons one a rifle, the other a pistol along with a handgun,Hale is seen shooting into glass doors to enter the building. Woman who survived Highland Park shooting makes plea in Nashville, First lady Jill Biden responds to Nashville mass shooting, wounded two faculty members at a high school in Denver, Revealing trends, details and anguish of every US event since 2006, the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, shared through tears a story of Evelyn Dieckhaus, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The Covenant School students who died Monday were all 9 years old, andthe staff members were in their 60s. Last week, a 17-year-old student shot and wounded two faculty members at a high school in Denver. I'm very sad for her parents, because they losttheir child.". Kendra Loney, a spokesperson with Metro Fire, said rescue crews responded and tried to save lives. Nicole Hester/USA Today Network via REUTERS. "Audrey, you have so much more life to live," Patton responds in the messages. He praised the quickness of the police response. A top Texas law enforcement official later said there were enough armed police officers wearing body armor to halt the shooting three minutes after it began. All Rights Reserved. Two of the five officers on the floor opened fire on the shooter and killed Haleby 10:27 a.m., Aaronsaid. But in this case, Dunton said, if sharing it can allay any fears and help the public come to a greater understanding of what motivated the shooter and potentially prevent another tragedy from happening, then that serves a greater purpose. Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington. After the shooting,Drake said officers seized written material anda map describing how the assault would unfold, as well as a plan to shoot up a different Nashville school apparentlyscrapped because of too much security., We have some writings that we are going over that pertain to this date, the actual incident, Drake said at a news conference Mondayafternoon. ", "We dont know all of the details of how or why this happened, and we may never fully know," Battle said. MNPD OFFICERS ON THE SCENE:Who are the Nashville officers who killed the Covenant School shooting suspect? By that time, unbeknownst to Patton, Hale had shattered glass doors and entered the Covenant School. 'Aren't you tired of this? And right now, its real.From her office nearby, Kelly Stooksberry could see parents rushing to park their cars on the side of the road before sprinting to locate their children. ", Adrienne Battle, director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, said she was "grieving today over the tragic murder of children and school staff right here in our community," calling the killings an "unimaginable loss of life. Nashville school shooter fired 152 rounds, planned and studied other shootings for months, police say. The shooter was dead by 10.27am. For young children, Gorter said they will have powerful reactions to trauma. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Audrey Hale struggled to cope with the death of a close friend in the months before the rampage that killed six people at a private Christian school, those who knew the school shooter said Wednesday. As a pediatric surgeon, my first thought was, if I had still been there, could I have rendered immediate aid to these victims, Grayson said. As a public service, The Tennessean has made this content free. "I doubt that there's anyone you can talk to who would even be able to answer why. ':Woman who survived Highland Park shooting makes plea in Nashville. Balloons, stuffed animals, notes and candles also lined the wall. "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 have recovered Hale's cell phone and will conduct analysis, Metro Police spokesperson Don Aaron said Tuesday. The children started their morning in their cute little uniforms, they probably had some Froot Loops and now their whole lives changed today.. Contributing: Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY; Chris Gadd, Rachel Wegner, Kirsten Fiscus, and Craig Shoup,Nashville Tennessean; The Associated Press. 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. When I heard the news on April 3, my first thought was of the traffic. 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. Were investigating all the leads and, once we know exactly, well let you know., In an interview with NBC News, Drake said investigators believe Hale had some resentment for having to go to that school., 'AREN'T YOU GUYS TIRED OF THIS? A set of flags at an office building down the road flew at half mast. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Police said five officers promptly responded to a 911 call that arrived at 10:13 a.m. This one hits close to home, Joiner said. My mother-in-law is the front-desk angel, McDonald said. The shooting happened in a lobby-type area and not in a classroom per se, Aaron said. The school employs about 33 faculty members. Nashville police identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all nine years old; Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher, aged 61; Katherine Koonce, aged 60; and Mike Hill, a custodian, aged 61. Nashvilles chief of police, John Drake, told NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt that the shooter had planned to attack several different places, saying a manifesto belonging to the suspect indicates that there was going to be shootings at multiple locations, and the school was one of them. One of Tennessees top law enforcement officials said in a recent meeting that the writings of the 28-year-old shooter, Audrey Hale, appear to be ramblings and indicative of a mental health struggle. Biden believes recent legislative actions have not been enough. The Covenant School, founded in 2001, is a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville with about 200 students, according to the school's website. Metro Nashville police said Monday afternoon Hale fired 152 total rounds, 126 from a rifle and 26 nine millimeter rounds from a pistol they carried in mass shooting. Senators, Mayor John Cooper, and MNPD chief John Drake. Rausch declined several interview requests from NBC News. The officers found the shooteron the second floor of the building that housesthe school and a Presbyterian church. Several vigils were held Monday night across Nashville in honor of the victims and their families. Deon J. Hampton is a national reporter for NBC News. She was outside the school and she heard gunshots., Drake said: It could have been far, far worse.. Some video provided to USA TODAY was missing time. NASHVILLE - Hundreds gathered Wednesday night for the citywide . USA TODAY. Police also said Hale acted alone. Grayson pulled out of the parking lot about 10:12 a.m., she said. The 28-year-old who killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville last week fired 152 rounds, Nashville police said Monday, adding that while they have yet to. According to Drake, Hale appeared to have some training to shoot from a higher level, and knew to stand away from the glass so (he) wouldnt be an easy target., 'A WAKE UP CALL':Channel 4 reporter 'immediately was taken back' to school shooting she witnessed in 2010. THE LATEST:What we know about Covenant School shooting in Nashville. I'm very sad for the loss of my friend, and I'm very sad for the families and the loved ones of the victims. QUICK REACTION: 14-minute timeline: From the Nashville school shooter's break-in to how police responded. Metro Nashville police said Monday afternoon Audrey Hale fired 152 total rounds, 126 from a rifle and 26 nine millimeter rounds from a pistol they carried in the mass shooting. "She wore baggy clothes, kind of mixed-matched clothes. "Arent you tired of this," she said, taking over the microphones after a news conference. She earned a master's in education from Georgia State University in Atlanta and a doctorate from Trevecca NazareneUniversity, a Christian school in Nashville. I woke up this morning with a very familiar feeling, and I recognize that today many Tennesseans are feeling the exact same way the emptiness, the lack of understanding, the desperate desire for answers, and the desperate need for hope.". "I never saw any of our staff sit down," Parker said. Evelyns sister cried as she said, I dont want to be an only child.. 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. "I have a feeling, when it all comes out, Mikes sacrifice saved lives," Dunavant wrote in a Facebook post. A group prays with a child outside the reunification center at the Woodmont Baptist church. "Our community is heartbroken. Hale was a former student at The Covenant School, according to police. They "immediately went to the gunfire," he said. When they arrived, the shooterfired on arriving police vehicles from a 2nd story window, the Nashville police tweeted, showing pictures of bullet-pierced windows on police cruisers. President Joe Biden referred to the shooting as a "sick'' act and reiterated his call for Congress to ban assault weapons. Hale's parents believed that due to Hale's emotional state, Hale should not have owned weapons. I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building, Drake said. Without referencing Uvalde, Drake made it clear standing around for more than an hour in an active-shooter situation was not an option. The Covenant school has about 209 students from pre-school through sixth grade and 42 staff members, Aaron said. More than two weeks after a mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school, investigators have not yet identified a clear motive in the attackers journal writings, and authorities have not provided any details publicly to back up their early suggestion that the shooter may have felt resentment toward the school. " We strongly believe there were going to be other targets, including maybe family members and one of the malls here in Nashville.". In surveillance footage released by Nashville police late Monday, Hale is seendriving to the school to carry out the shooting. "It could have been far worse. "It's ripping our communities apart, ripping at the very soul of the nation. My moms brother Lord help me and my family please pray for all my cousins.. Sims' father declined to comment Wednesday. The shooter was . "Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need.. The school shooting the deadliest since 21 people, including 19 children, were killed at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last May renewed the debates over the scourge of American gun violence, access to firearms and school safety. Three children and three adults were killed in a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. ", "One day this will make more sense," Hale wrote. "Something in me was like, 'No, you need to help. Police initially identified Hale by his birth name and gender. 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. Audrey Hale sent direct messages from The Covenant School parking lot to a former middle school basketball teammate minutes before Monday's shooting. The website counts any instance when a firearm is fired or pointed at someone in a school, or when a bullet hits school property. It was really scary, really sad.. The news they heard just after noon was devastating: Three children and three school staff members were killed. "Like many of you, Ive experienced tragedy in my own life, and Ive experienced the day after that tragedy. "We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.". Officers were reviewing video from the school, he said. This is another PCA church school just up the road. At the same time staff at Woodmont Baptist Church saw the news of the shooting, they learned they were going to also serve as the reunification site. Hale entered the Covenant school with an AR-style rifle, anAR-style pistol and another handgun, police said. My heart is broken I do not understand why someone would shoot up a school with precious babies inside. 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. 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. Addressing an early evening news conference, Drake said police were working on a theory about what may have precipitated the shooting and would "put that out as soon as we can." She later graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, the station added. 3:16. I understand how the director might be feeling about when do you release this, and you dont want to inspire another copycat, Eads said. Following a deadly school shooting last month, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have passed a proposal that would protect gun and ammunition dealers . See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Investigators with the police department and the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit continue to review writings left behind by Hale, which police said Monday contain documentation of Hales planning. Hale, who lived in Nashville, had legally purchased seven guns from five different local gun stores, the chief told reporters Tuesday. The Tennessean newspaper cited a police spokesperson as saying Hale used he/him pronouns. Hebrought three to the school Monday, one of them an AR-style rifle. Brazilian police and environmental protection agents were ambushed by illegal gold miners on the Yanomami Indigenous reservation in the Amazon on Monday and four miners were shot dead in the exchange of gunfire, a government statement said. He said he viewed one document that was specifically a plan, while another contained journal-type rantings., Ideological expressions none of that has surfaced in these writings, Rausch said. The suspected shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was fatally shot by officers who responded to the scene at The Covenant School. In the chaotic hours after the shooting, scores of parents gathered at Woodmont Baptist Church to reunite with their children. "I've left behind more than enough evidence behind. "We stand, all of us, with Nashville in prayer.". Police released more than two minutes of surveillance footage late Monday, followed by six minutes of body camera video Tuesday from officers who encountered the shooter. For Megan Hill, the days agony unfolded over six long hours, marked by posts on Facebook in which she identified herself as the niece of one of the victims. After the shooting, children were seen walking, holding hands and surrounded by police cars, to the nearby Woodmont Baptist church, to be reunited with parents. (Metro Nashville Police Department) Law enforcement officers lead children away from the scene of a shooting at The. There have been 89 school shootings defined as any incident in which a gun is discharged on school property in the U.S. in 2023, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a website founded by researcher David Riedman. 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. ', First lady Jill Biden also addressed the shooting, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "Theres no way to describe the feeling of seeing that many police cars except surreal," Mitchell said at Tuesday's Metro Schools Board of Education meeting. Bill Lee said in a recorded address Tuesday night, his first extended comments on the shooting. Do something,'" Patton said. "Audrey definitely admired Sydney," Hardcastle said. Enrollment fluctuates between 195 and 210. Britney, a pediatric surgeon, pulled out her phone and answered a few text messages sitting in her car. Police said the suspect was armed with two assault-type guns and a 9 mm pistol. The motive was not immediately known, but the suspect had drawn detailed maps of the school, including entry points for the building, and left behind a "manifesto" and other writings that investigators were examining, Police Chief John Drake told reporters. And it was on the upper level where [the shooter] was confronted by police and killed.. Follow the latest updates on the Covenant School shooting as they happen in our live blog here. She recalled Hale as dressing in a "quirky, 90s style" and seeming "nice and quiet." Motive in Nashville shooting remains unclear weeks after 6 people were killed at a Christian school Authorities initially believed the shooter might hold resentment toward her former school but.

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