On Monday, tragedy struck the Green Hills neighborhood in Nashville when a former student opened fire at a Christian elementary school. The shooter was identified as 28-year-old transgender, Audrey Hale. 6 people were killed, including 3 children and 3 adults. The shooter was also shot and killed at the scene by police.
The Covenant School (TCS) is a private Presbyterian school for children in preschool through sixth grade. Around 10:13 am, Hale shot through a locked door, gaining entrance to the school. Carrying two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun with significant ammunition, Hale went up to the second floor and opened fire, taking down Cynthia Peak, 61, Mike Hill, 61, and Head of School Katherine Koonce, 60. Along with the three adults killed in this tragedy, Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Pastor’s daughter Hallie Scruggs, all 9 years old, lost their lives as well.
Within 15 minutes, police responded to the scene and rushed into the school with bullets flying at them as Hale was firing from a second-story window. Once Hale was met with an exchange of gunfire on the second floor, the two responding officers, Englebert and Collazo, fatally took down the shooter around 10:27 am.
Authorities were able to locate Audrey Hale’s vehicle near the scene, and they found written material indicating the mass shooting was calculated and planned. A search warrant was then served at Hale’s home, located about three miles away from the school. At the killer’s home, investigators found hand-drawn maps of the school, a sawed-off shotgun, another shotgun, and other unspecified evidence. This confirms that the attack on The Covenant School was meticulous and planned as a direct target.
As friends and family mourn the lives lost in this horrific event, the whole city of Nashville is organizing vigils to pay respect to the fallen angels.
