nashville shooting today

Hale, armed with multiple firearms, including an AR-style rifle, shootsthrough glass doors to enter the building. Here's what we know about the Nashville shooting and those who died: How the shooting unfolded Authorities say they received the first call of an active shooter at the Covenant School at. 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. What is The Covenant School in Nashville? "Something in me was like, 'No, you need to help. Floral tributes are left at a memorial outside the entrance to the Covenant School on Wednesday. A Warner Bros. Two officers opened fire a moment captured in bodycam footage later released by police and killed Hale at 10:27 a.m., 14 minutes after the shooter entered, according to Nashville police spokesperson Don Aaron. "That reunification work is really gospel work that we were honored to be a part of Gods plan in that moment.". Three other verified funds are also available for support relief on GoFundMe's website. I thought I would just see this on TV, she said. Is the clue in her writings and ramblings how to stop it? Tim Dunavant, a pastor at HartsvilleFirst United Methodist Church, said Hill wasthe last employee he hired when Dunavant ran the kitchen at the Covenant church and school more than 13 years ago. Lamenting the heartbreaking attack, Joe Biden repeated his call for Congress to pass meaningful gun control reform including an assault weapons ban. It was too late. "Per his family, he took great pleasure and found tremendous joy in his job and through those students.". Do something,'" Patton said. Nashville school shooter fired 152 rounds, planned and studied other shootings for months, police say. 'Aren't you tired of this? Hale walks in hallways and aims the assault rifle before the video cuts off. "I'll never understand, it because it's not a logical thing to do. "She wore baggy clothes, kind of mixed-matched clothes. Rachel Dibble, who was at the church as families found their children, described the scene as everyone being in complete shock. "Our high school was really accepting of that.". 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. The victims were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, along with staffers Mike Hill, 61, a school custodian, Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher, and Katherine Koonce, 60, listed on the Covenant website as "head of school.". There were shots all over the floor before [the shooter] went to the upper level. No, definitely not. 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. "Like many of you, Ive experienced tragedy in my own life, and Ive experienced the day after that tragedy. My heart is broken I do not understand why someone would shoot up a school with precious babies inside. NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 27 (Reuters) - A heavily armed 28-year-old fatally shot three children and three adult staffers on Monday at a private Christian school the suspect once attended in Tennessee's capital city before police killed the assailant, authorities said. "Drake said two of the weapons were legally purchased in the Nashville area but did not specify which ones. Drake identified the suspect as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, a resident of the Nashville area, and referred to the assailant by female pronouns. Please click here for the. Following extensive interviews with the parents of Audrey Hale, Metro Police were able to determine that Hale was under doctor care for an emotional disorder, and Hale's parents believed Hale did not have any firearms at the time of the shooting, Drake said Tuesday. 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. ", Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked first responders and medical professionals in a statement addressing the "tragic morning" that Nashville "joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting. "We stand, all of us, with Nashville in prayer.". 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. Deon J. Hampton is a national reporter for NBC News. "So exactly how they showed her on the bodycam footage was exactly how I remember her looking and how she always dressed.". ", "One day this will make more sense," Hale wrote. 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. A federal law enforcement source verified to NBC News that no direct motive has been established in the investigation and suggested that the driving force of the attack was similar to previous school shootings in which the assailant was drawn to other mass killers. "I am truly without words, and our children deserve better," she said. Drake confirmed that law enforcement were previously unaware of Hale or about his treatment. 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. The officers found the assailant on the second floor of the building housing the school and a Presbyterian church and neutralized the threat by 10:27 a.m., police said. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Metro Nashville Police Department released body camera video showing officers arriving at The Covenant School where six were killed. I was really impressed that with all that was going on, someone took control and said Lets go, lets go., Drake said at Tuesday's briefing. 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. She recalled Hale as dressing in a "quirky, 90s style" and seeming "nice and quiet." Shooting at the school where my Dad, my uncle and my stepmom work please pray right now, she wrote at about noon local time. 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? Did you encounter any technical issues? This is a deep rupture in our lives., Metro Nashville police published a news release late Monday that said investigators found writings that revealed the attack was " calculated and planned.". Evil people do evil things. Police should release Hales writings when they can, he added, if only to put a spotlight on others who may be struggling and considering using violence. 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. Peak was raised in Leesville, Louisiana, and attended Leesville High School through her sophomore year in 1977, when her family relocated to Shreveport, KALB-TVin Alexandria, Louisiana, reported. "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. He said Hale left behind extensive writingsbut no motive for the shooting has been determined. Police initially misgendered the shooter, who they later said identified as a transgender man. As Englebert moved to the second floor, eight gunshots can be heard down the hallway. Celebrating Childhood.". 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. Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, was an illustrator and graphic designer. The website counts any instance when a firearm is fired or pointed at someone in a school, or when a bullet hits school property. The attacker, identified as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, was a former student at The Covenant School who broke in Monday morning by shooting the glass from a door. A former student killed three children and three adults at a Christian elementary school in Nashville on Monday, armed with two "assault-style" weapons and a handgun after elaborately planning. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. The school is on the campus of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the city's Green Hills neighborhood, about 9 miles southeast of downtown Nashville. ", Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked first responders and medical professionals and said his "heart goes out to the families of the victims." follow our coverage from Tuesday, March 28 here. Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. We have to do more to stop gun violence,'' he said. Empowering Minds. Last week, a 17-year-old student shot and wounded two faculty members at a high school in Denver. When speaking to News 2, Drake didn't shy away from what he believes needs to be done to reduce these crimes. 'There is no universal school safety solution.' I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building, Drake said. We have become aware of the reality that we spend most of our lives wanting to deny, that this world is not safe. "I was really impressed that with all that was going on, the danger, that somebody took control and said, 'Let's go, let's go, let's go,' and went in and just tried to end this situation,''Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said. For an hour, city leaders, including Mayor James Maness, Police Chief James Hambrick and several church pastors, prayed and offered their condolences to The Covenant School and the entire Nashville community. Biden believes recent legislative actions have not been enough. Local congressman's family photo draws criticism, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Tuesday night prayer vigil in Mt. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. 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. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. The Predators released a statement earlier Tuesday, saying, "As Middle Tennessee grieves today, we move forward with heavy hearts in preparation for our game against the Boston Bruins this evening. April 12, 2023. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will assist the Metro Nashville Police Department in the investigation, said TBI Director David Rausch. And I know hes the kind of guy that would do that. Patton, who told The Tennessean shethought of herself as sort of a "big sister" to Hale, and said Hale had shared suicidal thoughts with former teammates and felt she had to try to help. We will do our best to be mindful and respectful of the more important things in society today, continuing to pray for the shooting victims, their families and the entire Covenant School family, our hearts filled with love and hope for everyone affected.". The shooter had planned the attack for months, according to those journals, which police said were located in the attackers car and bedroom. "We will continue to confront our grief. 3:16. Bill Lee said in a recorded address Tuesday night, his first extended comments on the shooting. Its important they attend to the basic comfort need, be present with their children.. Without referencing Uvalde, Drake made it clear standing around for more than an hour in an active-shooter situation was not an option. The shooter, identified by police as former student Audrey. The shooter was dead by 10.27am. Bill Lee said he was "closely monitoring the tragic situation. MNPD said Audrey Hale shot at officers from a second-story window when they arrived at the school Monday morning. Evil is very real. 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. ", In a Twitter statement, Tennessee Gov. Body camera footage released Tuesday shows armed Nashville officers swiftly moving from one room to another in the school before confronting Hale. In a subsequent NBC News television interview, Drake said investigators believed the shooting stemmed from "some resentment" the suspect harbored "for having to go to that school" as a younger person. Nashville shooter messaged former teammate before attack, three 9-year-olds, a school administrator, a custodian and a substitute teacher, Full bodycam: Nashville police encounter school shooter. Some video provided to USA TODAY was missing time. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Enrollment fluctuates between 195 and 210. They heard shots coming from the second level; they immediately went to the gunfire. The intruder was in a "lobby-type area," not a classroom, Aaron said. We have a map drawn out of how this was all going to take place., Draketold NBC News that Hale might have had"some resentment for having to go to that school.". Footage from inside The Covenant School was provided by law enforcement showing multiple angles. The personnel who were on duty at Station 20 on Monday were not on duty for the following 48 hours, Nashville Fire Department spokesman Joseph Pleasant said. "We've got one down," he says before turning right down the hallway. "I am truly without words and our children deserve better," she said. Police said Hale was armed with "significant ammunition.". She saw one woman fall to her knees and grab her chest. Hale also said in the messages to Patton that a March 13 Instagram post was actually a suicide note. For some of us, these are our friends., The senior pastor lost a daughter today, he said. Because a church operates the school, no Nashville police officers were assigned to the building, Aaron said. ", "We dont know all of the details of how or why this happened, and we may never fully know," Battle said. Everyone was kind to her, because they knew she might have been on the spectrum, and she was so kind, so people reciprocated that energy to her.. ARMED CONGRESSMAN: Andy Ogles, GOP congressman representing Nashville, criticized for posing with guns in family Christmas photo. Police said Hale, who was assigned female at birth but identified as a man,bought the firearms betweenOctober 2020 and June 2022. The shooter was . He also said Hale identified as transgender. It serves preschool through sixth graders and held an active shooter training program in 2022, WTVF-TV reported. A candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday night at Public Square Park to honor the victims of Monday's shooting. Hale was fatally shot by a five-member police team around 10:27 a.m. in a second floor lobby. Police released a six minute compilation video of officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo body camera footage. (Metro Nashville Police Department) Law enforcement officers lead children away from the scene of a shooting at The. "It could have been far worse. Police quickly worked through the first floor clearing classrooms and encouraging each other to move faster. ", 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. The latest in an epidemic of deadly mass gun violence that has come to routinely terrorize even the most cherished of U.S. institutions unfolded on a warm spring morning at The Covenant School, whose students consist mostly of elementary school-age children. ", 'This is shattering'Nashville officials respond to The Covenant School shooting. "Officers entered the first story of the school and begin clearing it. U.S. 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. 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. 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. Her LinkedIn online profile says she has led the school since July 2016. John Oliver Argues for Gun Control in Wake of Nashville School Mass Shooting: "Change Is Long Overdue". 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. Staff began ushering parents, the earliest of whom arrived about 11 a.m., to the sanctuary where they gave their information and student's information to officials. "I've left behind more than enough evidence behind. "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. "What happened at Covenant School was a tragedy beyond comprehension," Tennessee Gov. Police have recovered Hale's cell phone and will conduct analysis, Metro Police spokesperson Don Aaron said Tuesday. Victims of The Covenant School shooting mourned at vigil in Nashville. People were involuntarily trembling, said Dibble, whose children attend a different private school in Nashville. 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. 'Above and beyond':Nashville police moved fast, saved lives in Covenant shooting, experts say. Mitchell watched out of her classroom window as police and emergency vehicles raced past her school and to the scene, about two miles down the road off Hillsboro Pike. She and her husband Micah Wilfong were speaking to students Monday morning about their mission trip to Kenya. Friends of Audrey Hale, 28, still can't grasp how the "loving" teenager they knew could go launch a deadly attack that killed six people. Don Aaron, a police spokesperson, said the first call about the shooting came at 10.13am. "I can't do anything except plead with Congress to act reasonably.". The website of school, a Presbyterian establishment founded in 2001, lists a Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. We believe in prayer and we believe in the power of prayer. Nashville attack renews debate over how best to protect students. Mondays update on the investigation comes a week after Hale armed with three firearms, according to police stormed the Covenant School, gaining entry to the building by firing through the buildings locked glass doors. 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. 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. Police said five officers promptly responded to a 911 call that arrived at 10:13 a.m. The attack took place at The Covenant School, a private . "I saw the [police] body camera videos, and the way she was dressed on Monday is exactly what she looked like in high school," Hardcastle said. ': mother pleads for action after Nashville school shooting video. We have to do more to protect our schools so they aren't turned into prisons. More recently, a six-year-old shot his teacher in Virginia and a high-school student in Colorado shot two administrators. 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. All Rights Reserved. And it was on the upper level where [the shooter] was confronted by police and killed.. Police believed two of the guns were obtained legally, Drake said. 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. gaining entry to the building by firing through the buildings locked glass doors, Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs. At this point, I think the metro police department is backing off with making any judgments or assumptions on the manifesto and leaning on TBI and the FBI, he said, adding that overall, the police have done a good job of investigating. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. The manifesto may have some answers in it or it may lead to some other people, but until you go through all of that, authorities shouldnt comment on a motive, he said. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. So our prayers go out to these families., Ramon Antonio Vargas and the Associated Press contributed reporting, Biden says gun violence ripping our communities apart after Tennessee shooting, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Police identified the student victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9. "These brave officers ran toward the gunfire and eliminated the threat as they are trained to do.''. "I've seen too many of these myself," Biden said. Following a deadly school shooting last month, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have passed a proposal that would protect gun and ammunition dealers . She wrote on Twitter:"My office is in contact with federal, state, & local officials, & we stand ready to assist. At least one of those was described by police as a "sawed-off shotgun," some of which can be. But Peak never arrived home on Monday. Several vigils were held Monday night across Nashville in honor of the victims and their families. The chief said the suspect identified as transgender but provided no further clarity. David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said authorities sent heartfelt prayers to the families of these victims. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. The shooter wore a black vest over a white T-shirt, camouflage pants and a backwards red baseball cap. Contributing: Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY; Chris Gadd, Rachel Wegner, Kirsten Fiscus, and Craig Shoup,Nashville Tennessean; The Associated Press. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. The suspected shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale . Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington. 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. 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. Evelyns sister cried as she said, I dont want to be an only child.. Within minutes, Nashville officers arrived at the scene and confronted Hale as the shooter was firing through a window at arriving police cars, per police. Patton said she called the Nashville Davidson County Sheriff's Office and was instructed to call Nashville's non-emergency number. Hale fired more than 150 rounds during the March 27 shooting, Metro Nashville Police said . Hale and Sims attended Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts and the Nashville School of the Arts. Drake said the officers were trying to decompress the day after the shooting. Nashville Fire Department Station 20, a station that responded to the shooting, has 14 Thanksgiving Day cards in the station's windows that personnel said were brought last fall by Covenant School students, who often brought snacks and different treats. Possessing a handgun is outlawed in Tennessee for anybody who has been convicted of a felony offense involving violence or drugs. ", First lady Jill Biden commented on the attackduring heropening remarks at a National League of Cities event in Washington. One of Hale's former instructors at the Nossi College of Art & Design, Maria Colomy, said Sims' death took a great emotional toll on her former student. In contrast to the painfully delayed police response to the shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last year, law enforcement officers in Nashville took quickaction Monday, likely saving several lives. "If you have the power to make change and instead sit back and remain complicit, do better.". Drake spoke to President Joe Biden, who was planning to reach out to the responding officers this week. Nothing in the brief encounter at Patton's show gave Hardcastle any belief something was going to go horrifically wrong. "Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need.. It's next door to a Nashville Fire Department stationand less than a mile south of Nashville's largest shopping district. Drake said Hale was a former student at the school. Jeff Syracuse, a Nashville councilman who chairs the public health and safety committee, said he has questioned some of the conflicting reports surrounding the investigation. We cant ask her anymore, and we cant get in her mind, Giacalone said. 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. MASS KILLING DATABASE:Revealing trends, details and anguish of every US event since 2006. There are pieces to this whole story that we dont know and I dont know if it will ever give us closure or answers.. QUICK REACTION: 14-minute timeline: From the Nashville school shooter's break-in to how police responded. The shooter was named as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, and from Nashville.

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