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 school shooting suspect owned 7 legal guns, police say "It's heartbreaking, a family's worst nightmare," Biden said Monday afternoon. Neither of the two officers who fired on the shooter, Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo, had been in a similar situation, MNPD chief John Drake said Tuesday. Police identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs, all of them age 9, and Mike Hill, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Cynthia Peak, 61. He commended MNPD's swift response, and called for Congress to take action to pass a ban on assault weapons. He said the suspect had no known prior criminal history. Officers shot and killed the attacker at the Covenant school, which is attached to the Covenant Presbyterian church in the Tennessee state capital. We have to do more to stop gun violence,'' he said. "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. 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. Drake confirmed that law enforcement were previously unaware of Hale or about his treatment. About the four-minute mark, the video cuts to Collazo's body camera. 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. It serves preschool through sixth graders and held an active shooter training program in 2022, WTVF-TV reported. 2023 Nashville school shooting - Wikipedia ", As officers approached, Hale fired upon them from a second story window, MNPD said. President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Nashville school shooter fired 152 rounds, planned and studied other shootings for months, police say. Nashville shooting updates: Officers Rex Engelbert, Michael Collazo speak Just before the shooting at The Covenant School, Patton got a message from Hale, who warned that something bad was about to happen. 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. 0:00. "As Christians I think were always ready to help play our part in bringing back that which has been not unified to unification," Pastor Nathan Parker told The Tennessean. Three children and two adults were takento Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt with gunshot wounds, and all fivewere pronounced dead there, said Craig Boerner, spokesperson forVanderbilt University Medical Center. 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? The 61-year-old was one of six victims slain in one of the deadliest school shootings in Tennessee history. Deon J. Hampton is a national reporter for NBC News. Do something,'" Patton said. All you can show is that basically that we are all here together and hold their hand more than anything else, he said. A police spokesperson describes. Some conservatives seized on that angle to blame the killings at the Christian school on Hales gender identity, with the hashtag #TransTerrorism trending on Twitter. We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church," the school said in a statement Monday night. Clarification: This article was updated. Hale walks in hallways and aims the assault rifle before the video cuts off. "She seemed like she always did, just kind of quiet," she 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. The Tuesday night prayer vigil in Mt. They heard shots coming from the second level; they immediately went to the gunfire. We cant ask her anymore, and we cant get in her mind, Giacalone said. Hillsboro High School junior Alayna Mitchell was in class on Monday when Monday's shooting took place at Covenant School. First lady. President Joe Biden said he spoke with Drake and "thetwo officers that went in and saved the lives,'' and was working on reaching out to families of the victims. Biden said he has already spoken to several officials including Tennessee's two U.S. Another high school classmate broke down in tears while speaking with NBC News on Wednesday, grieving the victims and the shooter, whom police killed. MASS KILLING DATABASE:Revealing trends, details and anguish of every US event since 2006. And thats where she sits, and so you walk down a long exterior pathway to the front door, and then you see her smiling face in the morning there. Drake praised the response time of responding officers during Monday's shooting, saying that by the time he arrived, officers were coming out bloody and assisting survivors. 2:59 PM EDT, Mon April 3, 2023. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. On a given day, slightly over 200students and 42 staff members are at the school, Aaron said. Sims' father declined to comment Wednesday. ", Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked first responders and medical professionals and said his "heart goes out to the families of the victims." Drake said that Hale, who attended Covenant School, had "some history" with the school which may have played a role in the motive for Monday's shooting. Nashville school shooter wrote manifesto and drew maps, per police. The staffers wereKatherine Koonce, 60, identified on the Covenant website as "head of school"; substitute teacherCynthia Peak, 61;and custodian Mike Hill, 61. At 10:13 a.m., Hale fired the first shot inside the school. The website of school, a Presbyterian establishment founded in 2001, lists a Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. Nashville school shooting updates: Body cam cops called heroes - USA Today LATEST NEWS: Officers Engelbert, Collazo seen in body cam video hailed as heroes: Nashville school shooting live updates, 'IT WAS TRULY HORRIFIC':Nashville mourns after mass shooting. "It sounds like it's upstairs," an officer says as theyascend the steps to the sound of gunfire. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on Monday night released images of three weapons, as well as footage of the suspect driving and parking at the building, allegedly shooting through the door and walking around inside the facility while holding a gun. ", 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 shooting: Community comes together to mourn "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. More on the Nashville school shooting - NBC News 'Nightmare': 6 killed in 'calculated' mass shooting at Nashville school Britney Grayson was moments away from the shooting Monday. "A lot of comments about 'you were all that mattered' [and] 'Ill miss you forever,' etc.," Colomy said, paraphrasing what she saw of Hale's social media postings. Bill Lee said in a recorded address Tuesday night, his first extended comments on the shooting. No, definitely not. What spurred Hale to target The Covenant School about two decades after attending there has led to rampant speculation and placed scrutiny on what police initially said was their focus on the investigation. Hale entered the Covenant school with an AR-style rifle, anAR-style pistol and another handgun, police said. 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. Nashville mourns after deadly mass shooting at The Covenant School He praised the quickness of the police response. 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.". Police have recovered Hale's cell phone and will conduct analysis, Metro Police spokesperson Don Aaron said Tuesday. He wrote on Twitter:"In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting. 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. "Drake said two of the weapons were legally purchased in the Nashville area but did not specify which ones. The shooting was just the latest such horrific event. The sense of safety inside the Covenant School in Nashville was shattered Monday when a former student burst into the private Christian school wielding an assault-style rifle and killed three. The Woodmont Christian Church will be organizing a fund for the affected families as a way to help with counseling costs. Goodbye Mike, Im going to miss those encouraging texts out of the blue from you.". They immediately went to the gunfire.". Published Those officers made entry into the school and ultimately shot and killed Hale. One police officer had a hand injury from cut glass, Loney and Aaron said. 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. "Per his family, he took great pleasure and found tremendous joy in his job and through those students.". Vanderbilt baseball is donating ticket proceeds from Tuesday's game against Lipscomb to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee benefitting The Covenant School and supporting those affected by Monday's shooting. That concerns me more than anything.. On Monday night, Tennessee's first lady Maria Lee was set to have dinner with one of her best friends, Cindy Peak, an old colleague from her teacher days who planned to spend the day as a substitute teacher at The Covenant School. IE 11 is not supported. Mourners gathered at the Belmont United Methodist Church to remember and pray for the victims of The Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. Two of the five officers on the floor opened fire on the shooter and killed Haleby 10:27 a.m., Aaronsaid.