Three children, three staff members died after shooting at The Covenant Presbyterian School, Female suspect shot and killed by police

Just nine years old, the three students who were shot and killed at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, have been identified by Metro Nashville Police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney.

Along with the students, three staff members of the school, Cynthia Peak (61), Katherine Koonce (60), and Mike Hill (61), were also killed.

The incident occurred at 10:13 a.m. and was promptly responded to by a five-member team from the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Upon arriving at the scene, the officers heard gunshots coming from the second level of the school and engaged the shooter, who has been identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale.

The shooter, who was identified as trans by Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake, has been apprehended.

Upon being confronted by police, Hale was shot and killed. While officers initially believed Hale was a teenager, they later clarified the age after further investigation.

According to Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake, Hale was a resident of the Nashville area and had attended The Covenant School in the past.

Police have ongoing investigations at Hale’s address. Two assault-style rifles and a handgun were found in Hale’s possession, and maps of the school were also discovered. Drake stated that Hale had even considered another location as a potential target, but ultimately decided against it due to the high level of security.

The private Christian school reportedly has video footage that the police department will review. On a typical school day, there are approximately 200 students and 40 staff members at the school, according to Don Aaron of the Metro Nashville Police Department.

A reunification area for families has been set up at Woodmont Baptist Church, as announced by the fire department on Twitter. At the site, a woman expressed her frustration with the ongoing shootings that occur throughout the country.

The woman expressed her frustration, questioning how such tragedies continue to occur and why children are still losing their lives. She shared that she has been advocating for change by lobbying lawmakers since surviving a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, in July.

In response to Monday’s shooting, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that he was closely monitoring the situation. During the SBA Women’s Business Summit, which had been previously scheduled to take place at the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden acknowledged the school shooting and praised law enforcement for their rapid response time, arriving at the scene within minutes of being alerted.

Biden called the incident heartbreaking and a family’s worst nightmare.

Once again, the President urged Congress to approve his proposal for a ban on assault weapons.