Six people are dead, as well as the shooter, after a shooting occurred on Monday at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
Officials responded to a shooting at the private Christian school, with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirming on Twitter that officers engaged with the shooter, who was killed at the scene.
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Three students, three adults, and the shooter are dead, according to both the Nashville Fire Department and a hospital spokesperson from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The student victims have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all of whom were 9 years old. The adult victims have been identified as Cynthia Peak, 61, Mike Hill, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60.
Families of the deceased children and adults have been notified, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said.
At 10:13 a.m., officers received a call about an active shooter, MNPD Media Relations Director Don Aaron said during a press briefing. Officers heard shots coming from the second level and identified the shooter.
The shooter was identified by police as Audrey Hale, 28, who is white and identified as a transgender man and lived in the Nashville area. Drake said that at one point, the shooter was a student at the school, but no other details were provided. A nearby vehicle helped police identify the shooter, Drake added.
Officials said Hale was armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun. It was originally stated that Hale appeared to be a teenager.
“This is the ultimate crime — when school children and caregivers are the victims of senseless gun violence,” Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said. “Can’t say anything before first expressing our concerns for the victims and their families and the extended victims that are traumatized.”
The shooter entered through the school’s side entrance and fired multiple shots. A five-person team of officers engaged the shooter upon arrival, with two of the five opening fire. The shooter was fatally shot at 10:27 a.m.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation of the officer-involved situation while police continue investigating the homicides, TBI Director David Rausch said.
Officers are telling us at least four people, including a shooter, are dead at the Covenant School at 33 Burton Hills Blvd. @WKRN
We’re on our way to the scene. pic.twitter.com/OIGhlbgPwW
— Peyton Kennedy (@peytonTVkennedy) March 27, 2023
The Nashville Fire Department tweeted at 10:39 a.m. that it was responding to an “active aggressor.”
“We are responding to an active aggressor at 33 Burton Hills Blvd Covenant School,” it said. “We can confirm we have multiple patients. Parents coming to the school should go to 20 Burton Hills at this time. this is an active scene.”
A neighbor working outside near the school heard five quick gunshots in succession between 10:13 a.m. and 10:29 a.m. when law enforcement and fire officials began arriving, per an interview with Fox 17 WZTV Nashville. She said officers were engaged very quickly and that the shots following were scattered, so she wasn’t sure where they came from.
The neighbor, who spoke anonymously, said she has one son attending a different school, which is currently in lockdown.
We are responding to an active aggressor at 33 Burton Hills Blvd Covenant School.
We can confirm we have multiple patients.
Parents coming to the school should go to 20 Burton Hills at this time. this is an active scene.— Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) March 27, 2023
The Covenant School is a private Christian school for preschool through sixth grade students. Last year, the school held an active shooter drill, per News Channel 5.
The private school has had an enrollment of between 195 and 210 students in recent years and was founded as a ministry of the Covenant Presbyterian Church in 2001, per the school’s website.
Koonce, who is a victim of the school shooting, served as the head of school since July 2016, according to her LinkedIn. She had worked in the Nashville area for over a decade.
Preschool and pre-K students are in school from 7:50 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., so they were present during the shooting. Kindergarten through sixth grade students are in class until 3 p.m.
Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) tweeted that he is closely monitoring the “tragic situation at Covenant.”
“As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community,” Lee said.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) also tweeted that her office is in contact with federal, state, and local officials.
“Chuck & I are heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. My office is in contact with federal, state, & local officials, & we stand ready to assist,” Blackburn said. “Thank you to the first responders working on site. Please join us in prayer for those affected.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted that his heart goes out to the families of the victims, saying, “Our entire city stands with you.”
“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Cooper said. “As facts continue to emerge, I thank our first responders and medical professionals.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story reported Hale was a biological man who identified as a woman. Hale was a biological woman who identified as a man. The Washington Examiner regrets the error.
