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== Victims ==
== Victims ==
Six people—three children and three staff members—were killed. Five were pronounced dead at a hospital and one at the scene.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first= Trevor |date=March 27, 2023 |title=Who is the female Nashville school shooter who killed six at private Christian school? |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/27/nashville-covenant-school-shooting-female-shooter/11551363002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327212624/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/27/nashville-covenant-school-shooting-female-shooter/11551363002/ |archive-date= March 27, 2023 |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=USA Today |language= en-US}}</ref> They were students Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs, who were all 9, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, custodian Mike Hill, 61, and head of school Katherine Koonce, 60. A police officer cut his hand on shattered glass.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last1=Delaney |first1=Matt |last2=Mordock |first2=Jeff |date= March 27, 2023 |title=Nashville school shooter was transgender, had 'manifesto,' police say |url= https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/27/audrey-hale-identified-nashville-school-shooter-re/ |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230328022512/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/27/audrey-hale-identified-nashville-school-shooter-re/ |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=The Washington Times |language=}}</ref>
Six people—three children and three staff members—were killed. Five were pronounced dead at a hospital and one at the scene.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first= Trevor |date=March 27, 2023 |title=Who is the female Nashville school shooter who killed six at private Christian school? |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/27/nashville-covenant-school-shooting-female-shooter/11551363002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327212624/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/27/nashville-covenant-school-shooting-female-shooter/11551363002/ |archive-date= March 27, 2023 |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=USA Today |language= en-US}}</ref> They were students Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs, who were all 9; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; custodian Mike Hill, 61; and head of school Katherine Koonce, 60. A police officer cut his hand on shattered glass.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last1=Delaney |first1=Matt |last2=Mordock |first2=Jeff |date= March 27, 2023 |title=Nashville school shooter was transgender, had 'manifesto,' police say |url= https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/27/audrey-hale-identified-nashville-school-shooter-re/ |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230328022512/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/27/audrey-hale-identified-nashville-school-shooter-re/ |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=The Washington Times |language=}}</ref>


== Aftermath ==
== Aftermath ==

Revision as of 19:49, 29 March 2023

2023 Covenant School shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States and school shootings in the United States
Map
LocationGreen Hills, Nashville, Tennessee, US
Coordinates36°05′35″N 86°49′32″W / 36.09306°N 86.82556°W / 36.09306; -86.82556
DateMarch 27, 2023
10:13 – 10:27 a.m. (CDT; UTC−05:00)
TargetStudents and staff at The Covenant School
Attack type
Mass murder, mass shooting, school shooting
Weapons
Deaths7 (including the perpetrator)
Injured1[a]
PerpetratorAudrey Elizabeth Hale[3]
a.k.a. Aiden Hale[4]
MotiveUnder investigation

On March 27, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at The Covenant School, a private Presbyterian parochial school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, United States.[5][6][7][8] Six people—three children and three staff members—were killed. The shooter, identified as 28-year-old former student Audrey Elizabeth Hale,[9] was killed by responding police officers.[2]

Background

The Covenant School is a private Christian school located in the Green Hills neighborhood. It educates students from pre-kindergarten to the sixth grade. It was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, and its enrollment is about 200 students.[10]

Shooting

External videos
CCTV footage released by Nashville Police showing Hale entering and walking throughout the school armed during the shooting.
Twitter logo
video icon https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1640545519511404546

Hale sent a message to an old friend at 9:57 a.m CDT, saying an earlier message was "basically a suicide note" and that he[b] planned to die today.[11]

At 10:13 a.m., police received a call about an active shooter.[12][13][14] They later said Hale drove a Honda Fit to the school, parking it in the lot.[15] He shot through a side door to enter the building,[15][16] armed with two rifles and a handgun.[16][17][18] He walked across the second floor of the school before opening fire. Officers arrived at the school at 10:24 a.m.[14] One talked to a teacher who told him the students were locked down and two were missing.[19]

Police officers began evacuating the first floor and searching through rooms for Hale. They heard gunshots coming from the second floor.[14][20] Five Metro Nashville Police officers went upstairs and saw him firing through a window at arriving police vehicles. Two of the officers fired eight rounds, killing him at 10:27 a.m., 14 minutes after the initial 911 call.[14][21][22]

Victims

Six people—three children and three staff members—were killed. Five were pronounced dead at a hospital and one at the scene.[23] They were students Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs, who were all 9; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; custodian Mike Hill, 61; and head of school Katherine Koonce, 60. A police officer cut his hand on shattered glass.[24]

Aftermath

Actress Melissa Joan Hart was nearby when the shooting occurred and helped escort some of the fleeing children to safety.[25] The next day, she recounted the experience on Instagram.[26]

A reunification center was set up at the Woodmont Baptist Church by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Students who fled the school arrived by school bus in the afternoon. Parents identified and retrieved their children, who were first counted separately.[27] Many joined at least seven vigils for the dead. A memorial at the school gathered items such as flowers, balloons and stuffed animals.[28]

Nashville set up a fund to support those affected, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee established one for The Covenant School and GoFundMe created a list of verified similar fundraisers.[29][30]

Perpetrator

Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who also went by the name Aiden, was identified by the police as the shooter.[31][4] He was a 28-year-old Nashville resident with no criminal record[3] who had attended the school at an early age.[32] Police initially identified him as a woman but later said he was a transgender man, assigned female at birth and used masculine pronouns.[3][33][34] He was an illustrator and graphic designer who graduated from the Nossi College of Art & Design in 2022.[16] A neighbor said he lived with his parents.[35]

Police Chief John Drake said Hale was under care for an emotional disorder at the time of the shooting and had legally purchased seven firearms, including three recovered from his body, between October 2020 and June 2022.[1]

Investigation

The Metro Nashville Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.[36] A search of the Hales' house found two shotguns, one sawed-off, and other evidence.[37] Investigators also found a detailed map of the school with potential entry points and a manifesto.[20][31] He is believed to have undertaken reconnaissance before committing the attack.[38] Police said he had originally considered targeting another location but had decided not to carry out the attack due to the level of security there.[31]

Reactions

U.S. President Joe Biden said: "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It’s ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of the nation. And we have to do more to protect our schools, so they aren’t turned into prisons."[10] He ordered flags on all federal buildings to be flown at half-staff.[39][40]

The Covenant School asked for privacy and said its community was heartbroken and grieving tremendous losses.[28] Nashville Mayor John Cooper highlighted the long history of school shootings in the U.S. and offered his condolences to those affected.[20] Several notable Nashville musicians, including Mickey Guyton, Margo Price and Sheryl Crow, offered their condolences and anger about continual school shootings.[41]

Representative Andy Ogles, whose district includes Nashville, tweeted: "We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost. As a father of three, I am utterly heartbroken by this senseless act of violence."[42]

Arizona gubernatorial press secretary Josselyn Berry tweeted hours after the shooting, alongside a screenshot of an actress pointing two pistols: "Us when we see transphobes." She resigned two days later and her former administration said the tweet does not reflect its values.[43][44]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The injured victim was a police officer who suffered a hand injury from shattered glass.[2]
  2. ^ Hale identified as a trans man and used he/him pronouns.

References

  1. ^ a b Levenson, Eric; Alonso, Melissa; Salahieh, Nouran (March 28, 2023). "Covenant School shooter was under care for emotional disorder and hid guns at home, police say". CNN. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "At least 6 dead in Nashville, Tennessee school shooting". BNO News. March 27, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Nashville Christian school shooter appears to be a former student, police chief says". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  4. ^ a b The Associated Press. "What we know about the alleged Nashville school shooter". kwtx.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  5. ^ ""Multiple Patients" Reported At Scene Of Nashville School Shooting". CNN. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023. And more from our breaking news out of Nashville, a shooting at a pre-K and elementary school this morning. Police say the shooter is dead. This happened at the Covenant School, a parochial school in Nashville.
  6. ^ Smithson, Daniel. "MNPD: Shooter is dead following active situation at Covenant School". WSMV-TV. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nashville school shooting leave multiple victims, suspect dead". Reuters. March 27, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Mattise, Jonathan (March 27, 2023). "3 children, 3 adults killed in shooting at Nashville private school". PBS NewsHour. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Romero, Dennis (March 27, 2023). "Suspect had maps of school and shot through door to get in". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Levenson, Eric; Henderson, Jennifer (March 27, 2023). "28-year-old woman kills 3 students and 3 adults at private Christian school in Nashville, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  11. ^ West, Emily; Gibbs, Kelsey (March 28, 2023). "She checked her Instagram. She didn't expect a message from The Covenant School shooter". News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF). Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  12. ^ West, Emily; Broderick, Kelly (March 27, 2023). "Seven dead: three children killed plus the shooter dead at The Covenant School on Monday". newschannel5.com. WTVF. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Wurm, Kevin (March 27, 2023). "Woman shoots dead 3 children, 3 adults in Nashville school attack". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d Yan, Holly (March 28, 2023). "Nashville school shooting: A timeline of key events". CNN. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Hara, Amanda. "Nashville school shooter fired at glass doors to gain entry, fired at police". WSMV. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (March 27, 2023). "The Nashville school shooter had a 'manifesto' and maps, police say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  17. ^ Pengelly, Martin; Vargas, Ramon Antonio (March 27, 2023). "Three children and three adults killed in Nashville elementary school shooting". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Shoup, Craig; Gadd, Chris; Wegner, Rachel; Fiscus, Kirsten (March 27, 2023). "Nashville school shooting: Seven fatally shot at Covenant School, including female suspect". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  19. ^ Wright, Lucas; Baird, Brittney; Posey, Sebastian (March 28, 2023). "Bodycam video shows moments police killed active shooter at Nashville school". WKRN News 2. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  20. ^ a b c Mattise, Jonathan; Loller, Travis (March 27, 2023). "3 children, 3 adults fatally shot at Nashville grade school". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Li, David K.; Obregon, Natalie (March 27, 2023). "Nashville Christian school shooting leaves 3 children, 3 adults dead". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  22. ^ McShane, Julianne (March 28, 2023). "Body camera footage shows moment police confront and kill Nashville shooter". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  23. ^ Hughes, Trevor (March 27, 2023). "Who is the female Nashville school shooter who killed six at private Christian school?". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  24. ^ Delaney, Matt; Mordock, Jeff (March 27, 2023). "Nashville school shooter was transgender, had 'manifesto,' police say". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  25. ^ Ashleigh, Banfield (March 28, 2023). "Melissa Joan Hart helped Nashville kids escape shooting". NewsNation. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  26. ^ Andy, Rose (March 28, 2023). "Actress Melissa Joan Hart describes helping children flee campus after Nashville school shooting". CNN. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  27. ^ Davis, Molly (March 27, 2023). "Parents wait to be reunited with children in wake of Covenant School shooting". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Davis, Miles; Leyva, Diana (March 28, 2023). "Covenant School community seeks prayer in wake of deadly mass shooting". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  29. ^ Stephenson, Cassandra (March 29, 2023). "How to help those affected by the Covenant School shooting in Nashville". The Tennessean. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  30. ^ Levenson, Nouran Salahieh,Jeff Winter,Eric (March 29, 2023). "Police chief says no evidence Nashville shooter had specific problems or issues with school". CNN. Retrieved March 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ a b c "Audrey Hale, 28, named as Nashville school shooter as map and manifesto found". The Independent. March 27, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  32. ^ Smithson, Daniel (March 27, 2023). "Nashville school shooter was former student, police say". WSMV. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  33. ^ Hernandez, Joe; Doubek, James (March 27, 2023). "3 children and 3 adults are dead in a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville". NPR. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  34. ^ Wegner, Rachel; Davis, Molly; Sharon, Keith (March 28, 2023). "'Truly horrific': Nashville mourns after mass shooting at elementary school". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  35. ^ Bruggeman, Lucien; Romero, Laura; Levine, Mike (March 28, 2023). "Who was Nashville shooter Audrey Hale?". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  36. ^ "What we know about the Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale". The Independent. March 28, 2023. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  37. ^ "Investigation Continuing into Today's Active Shooter Murders at Covenant School". Nashville.gov. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  38. ^ "Three children and three adults gunned down at grade school in Nashville". thestar.com. March 27, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  39. ^ Mattise, Jonathan; Loller, Travis (March 27, 2023). "Nashville shooter had surveilled school, drawn maps". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023.
  40. ^ "At least 3 children and 3 adults killed in Nashville elementary school shooting". CNN. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  41. ^ Paulson, Dave (March 27, 2023). "Nashville musicians react to Covenant School shooting, call for action". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  42. ^ Horowitch, Rose (March 28, 2023). "Rep. Andy Ogles, whose district includes Nashville, criticized over gun-filled Christmas photo". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022.
  43. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (March 29, 2023). "AZ Gov. Hobbs' press secretary resigns after tweet suggesting gun violence against 'transphobes'". Fox News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ "Gov. Hobbs' secretary resigns after apparent controversial tweet about 'transphobes'". KNXV-TV. March 29, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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