Nashville school shooting - live updates: Victims and killer named as police release photos of smashed door
A gunman who killed three children and three adults in a shooting at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, has been named by police.
Audrey Hale, 28, was killed at the scene by police officers who were called to The Covenant School in the city on Monday morning, say officials.
Police say that the shooter, who was armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun, gained entry to the building via a side door and was a former student at the school.
When police officers arrived at the scene they entered the building and heard gunshots on the second floor where they shot and killed the gunman.
Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all aged nine, died in the shooting.
Katherine Koonce, 60, is listed on The Covenant School’s website as “head of school” and was one of the adult victims of the shooting say police. The other adult victims were named as Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill, both were 61.
Key Points
Audrey Hale: Former student left map and manifesto after shooting six at Nashville Christian school
Shooter dead and ‘multiple’ injured in shooting at Nashville Christian elementary school
Everything we know about the Nashville private school shooting
‘We need to do something’: White House calls for action after Tennessee school shooting
Nashville police confirm seven dead including shooter after Christian school shooting
Three children, 9, named among six victims in Nashville Christian elementary school shooting
05:03 , Graeme Massie
Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all aged 9, were fatally shot by Audrey Hale.
Three children, 9, among six victims in Nashville school shooting
School community in ‘shock’ as they grapple with grief
04:47 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee where a shooter killed three children and three adults said it was in shock.
In a statement to WSMV Nashville, the school said: “Our community is heartbroken. We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church. We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.
“Law enforcement is conducting its investigation, and while we understand there is a lot of interest and there will be a lot of discussion about and speculation surrounding what happened, we will continue to prioritize the well-being of our community.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support we have received, and we are tremendously grateful to the first responders who acted quickly to protect our students, faculty and staff.
“We ask for privacy as our community grapples with this terrible tragedy — for our students, parents, faculty and staff.”
Nashville shooting suspect’s mother urged for gun control after past shootings, old Facebook posts reveal
04:30 , Graeme Massie
Posts appear to have been taken down, writes Josh Marcus.
Nashville shooting suspect’s mom urged for gun control after shootings in posts
Families reunited after Nashville shooting
04:02 , Graeme Massie
AOC slams Marjorie Taylor Greene’s transphobic comments over Nashville shooting: ‘Disgusting’
03:32 , Graeme Massie
Speaking to The Independent, the far-right Georgia congresswoman also seemed to suggest Jane Fonda’s comments about anti-abortion activists could be linked to the tragedy.
Eric Garcia has the story.
AOC slams Marjorie Taylor Greene’s transphobic comments over Nashville shooting
Police say ‘resentment’ at school may have motivated shooting
03:01 , Graeme Massie
Audrey hale, 28, killed three children and three adults in the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning.
“There’s some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school,” Police Chief John Drake told Lester Holt of NBC News. “Don’t have all the details to that just yet and that’s why this incident occurred.”
The police chief said that the shooter had not appeared to target any individuals at the school.
“She targeted random students in the school ... whoever she came in contact with, she fired rounds,” Chief Drake said.
Victim Hallie Scruggs, 9, was daughter of Covenant Presbyterian Church’s senior pastor
02:44 , Graeme Massie
Victim Hallie Scruggs, 9, was the daughter of Covenant Presbyterian Church’s senior pastor, Chad Scruggs, the Nashville Presbytery confirmed to CBS News.
Police have identified Hallie along with two other children, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, also both 9, who were killed by the gunman at the Covenant School on Monday morning.
The adults who were killed have been named as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.
Hill worked as a custodian at the school, Peak was a substitute teacher and Koonce is listed as head of school on the school’s website.
Barack Obama: US ‘failing’ its children
02:32 , Graeme Massie
“We are failing our children. Guns are now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. Michelle and I mourn with the students and families of the Covenant School today, “ the former president tweeted.
Tennessee is among half of US states with a permitless concealed carry law
02:01 , Graeme Massie
State lawmakers are pushing legislation to expand the state’s ‘constitutional carry’ law while under scrutiny for a surge in gun deaths over the last decade.
Tennessee is among half of US states with permitless concealed carry law
Police post pictures of shooter’s car and shattered school door
01:43 , Graeme Massie
Nashville police have released a picture of the shooter’s car that was found near the school, as well as images of a glass door that the gunman shot through to get into the school.
“Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, drove this Honda Fit to the Covenant Church/school campus this morning and parked. MNPD detectives searched it and found additional material written by Hale,” tweeted Metro Nashville Police Department.
Roughly 1 in 20 Americans own an AR-15 rifle as firearm’s popularity explodes despite role in mass killings
01:15 , Graeme Massie
Originally intended for military use, AR-15-style rifles have surged in popularity over the last two decades.
Roughly 1 in 20 Americans own an AR-15 as firearm’s popularity explodes
Reporter covering Nashville shooting reveals she survived 2010 school shooting
Tuesday 28 March 2023 00:40 , Graeme Massie
Joylyn Bukovac spoke about the “shock” she had delt with after she was in a corridor when a gunman opened up at her school when she was an eighth-grade student.
She took to Twitter on Monday to thank people for the support they had shown her.
“I appreciate all the support I’ve received after sharing my story. I don’t talk about it much, but I think about what happened on February 5, 2010 often. I just want people to know they aren’t alone. I also want to discuss solutions. As a mom, I am worried for the future.”
Nashville reporter says mother-in-law worked at school where six people were killed
Tuesday 28 March 2023 00:20 , Graeme Massie
School staff member ‘was outside of the school and she heard gunshots, she had just gotten back from her break,’ reporter says.
Nashville reporter says mother-in-law worked at school where six people were killed
Neighbour describes shock at Audrey Hale’s Nashville school attack
Monday 27 March 2023 23:59 , Graeme Massie
Sandy Durham told The Daily Beast that she was a friend of the Hale family, whom she lives next door to in Nashville.
“I do know Audrey, I’ve known her since she was a baby. I had just gotten out of the shower when all of this started happening. I didn’t really know anything more than that. Something was going on next door. It’s just tragic for everybody. The sweet children that were hurt, killed, the adults. All of it,” she told the outlet.
She was asked if there were any warning signs about Hale. “Never. She was very sweet. I don’t know what happened. It’s very scary,” she said.
Gun safety advocate Fred Guttenberg calls for stronger legislation
Monday 27 March 2023 23:46 , Graeme Massie
Mr Guttenberg’s 14-year-old daughter Jaime Guttenberg was murdered in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018.
“I am away in the mountains trying to get peace and take a mental health break. Sadly, gun violence does not take time off. The latest school shooting will leave more victims and broken families,” he tweeted on Monday.
“We cannot harden our way out of this. Tennessee, like Florida, is a state working overtime to weaken gun laws. The facts are that we can either use legislation to make these shootings more predictable as is happening in Tennesse and Fl, or we can use legislation to save lives. DO NOT LET THIS CONTINUE. PUSH THOSE WE ELECT TO SAVE LIVES.”
(1,2) I am away in the mountains trying to get peace and take a mental health break. Sadly, gun violence does not take time off. The latest school shooting will leave more victims and broken families. We cannot harden our way out of this. Tennesse, like Florida, is a state
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) March 27, 2023
Families reunited after Nashville elementary school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 23:31 , Graeme Massie
Covenant School families reunited after shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 23:22 , Graeme Massie
Audrey Hale: Former student left map and manifesto after shooting six at Nashville Christian school
Monday 27 March 2023 22:45 , Graeme Massie
The 28-year-old, who is believed to be a former student at Covenant Presbyterian Church School, was shot dead by police on an upper floor of the school.
Audrey Hale, 28, named as Nashville school shooter as map and manifesto found
Shooter had maps of school and manifesto
Monday 27 March 2023 22:36 , Graeme Massie
The shooter who killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School, had maps of the facility and a manifesto, said Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake.
Chief Drake told reporters on Monday afternoon that the school was the only place targetted by the 28-year-old female gunman.
“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this date,” said Chief Drake at a press conference. “We have a map drawn out of how this was all gonna take place.”
He added that the gunman gained entry into the school by shooting through a locked door.
“We’ve also determined that there were maps drawn of the school in detail, of surveillance, entry points, et cetera. We know and believe entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors, is how they actually got into the school,” he said.
Head of school among those killed by shooter
Monday 27 March 2023 22:32 , Graeme Massie
Katherine Koonce, 60, is listed on The Covenant School’s website as “head of school” and was one of the adult victims of the shooting say police.
Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, also died in the shooting.
The other adult victims were named as Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill, both were 61.
Police chief ‘moved to tears’ at scene of shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 21:15 , Graeme Massie
“I was literally moved to tears to see this as the kids were being ushered out of the building,” MNPD chief John Drake told reporters on Monday.
“It could have been far worse,” he added. “My heart and prayers go out to the families of the six people who were tragically injured.”
Nashville reporter fights back tears on air
Monday 27 March 2023 20:40 , Graeme Massie
Anchor on NBC affiliate in the city became emotional as she reported that her own child’s school had been placed in lockdown after the shooting at The Covenant School.
Police chief says all doors at school were locked
Monday 27 March 2023 20:29 , Graeme Massie
Photos from scene of shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 20:25 , Graeme Massie
It’s sick’: Joe Biden confirms many ‘won’t make it’ after Nashville school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 20:17 , Graeme Massie
Police say female shooter was former pupil at Christian elementary school
Monday 27 March 2023 20:05 , Graeme Massie
MNPD Chief John Drake told reporters that the 28-year-old shooter, whom he described as a white female, had previously been a student at the school, but did not say when.
Police said that a car connected to the suspect was found near the site of the shooting and helped identify the woman. Investigators are also searching an address linked to the suspect.
Nashville shooting is 129th mass incident in US in 2023
Monday 27 March 2023 20:01 , Graeme Massie
The shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on 27 March is the 129th mass shooting in the US so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
White House: ‘Enough is enough'
Monday 27 March 2023 19:49 , Graeme Massie
How many recent school shootings has Nashville seen?
Monday 27 March 2023 19:41 , Graeme Massie
The shooting at The Covenant School is the fifth school shooting in the Nashville area since 2011 and the first since 2018, according to The Tennessean.
‘We need to do something’: White House calls for action after Tennessee school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 19:35 , Graeme Massie
Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden is in contact with state, local and federal law enforcement in the wake of Monday’s shooting in Nashville.
‘We need to do something’: White House calls for action after Tennessee shooting
Nashville mayor comments on shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 19:30 , Graeme Massie
“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you. As facts continue to emerge, I thank our first responders and medical professionals,” said Mayor John Cooper.
Pictures from scene of school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 19:20 , Graeme Massie
Nashville resident Candace Owens asks for ‘prayers’ for shooting victims
Monday 27 March 2023 19:12 , Graeme Massie
Pictures from scene of Nashville elementary school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 19:06 , Graeme Massie
Police now say gunman was 28-year-old woman
Monday 27 March 2023 19:00 , Graeme Massie
Nashville police say that the gunman was a 28-year-old female, not a teenager as they had earlier stated.
Highland Park survivor calls for gun control at Nashville scene
Monday 27 March 2023 18:50 , Graeme Massie
Nashville police confirm seven dead including shooter after Christian school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 18:41 , Graeme Massie
Officers took down female hooter on second floor of school
Monday 27 March 2023 18:34 , Graeme Massie
“Officers went to the gunfire. When they got to the second floor and saw the shooter, a female. There was a five-member unit that was on the second floor at the time,” MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron said.
“We know at this point that this shooter is a female and appears to be in her teens, and her identification isn’t confirmed. She had two assault rifles and a handgun.
“She entered the school through a side entrance and went from the first school to the second floor. By 10.27 am, the shooter was dead.”
Police reviewing video from inside school
Monday 27 March 2023 18:31 , Graeme Massie
“This is a church that operates a private school. There were no metro police personnel assigned to that school of any kind,” said a police spokesperson.
Police say they took call at 10.13am shooter was shot and killed by 10.27, within 14 minutes. Police entered on the ground floor and heard gunshots on the second floor, where they took down the shooter.
It is believed that the shooter gained entry to the building via a side door.
Police say three children and three adults were victims
Monday 27 March 2023 18:28 , Graeme Massie
Police say that three children and three adults were killed by the female shooter, who was in turn shot dead by two police officers working in a five-officer team.
Police say that shooter was female
Monday 27 March 2023 18:23 , Graeme Massie
Police in Nashville say that the shooter was female and appeared to be in her teens. Officials say they are still trying to identify the shooter, who was armed with two assault rifles and a handgun.
Tennessee governor comments on shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 18:20 , Graeme Massie
Governor Bill Lee, who signed a bill in 2021 allowing most adults to freely carry a handgun in the state without a permit, offered his condolences on the school shooting.
Two adults also reportedly killed in shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 18:14 , Graeme Massie
Two adults were also killed in the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, according to The Tennessean.
Senator Marsha Blackburn offers ‘prayers’ after shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 18:09 , Graeme Massie
Video shows Nashville police rushing to scene of Christian school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 18:04 , Graeme Massie
Three children dead in shooting at private elementary school in Nashville
Monday 27 March 2023 17:58 , Graeme Massie
What is The Covenant School?
Monday 27 March 2023 17:54 , Graeme Massie
The school was founded in Nashville in 2001 and is a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church. It has around 200 students, according to the school’s website.
The school has students from preschool up to 6th grade and held an active shooter training program in 2022, WTVF-TV reported.
“The beauty of a PreSchool-6th school is in its simplicity and innocence. Students are free to be children — they can feel fully and safely known by our faculty and become leaders under their guidance,” the school states on its website.
Children taken by busses to be reunited with parents
Monday 27 March 2023 17:49 , Graeme Massie
Three children shot and killed at Nashville elementary school
Monday 27 March 2023 17:44 , Graeme Massie
Three “pediatric patients were transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, all having suffered gunshot wounds,” said Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson John Howser.
“All three were pronounced dead after arrival.”
Pictures show children being lead to safety by police
Monday 27 March 2023 17:40 , Graeme Massie
Three children reportedly shot and injured
Monday 27 March 2023 17:37 , Graeme Massie
Three children were reportedly shot at The Covenant School in Nashville, sources told the city’s WTVF TV station.
The station says that there are no details on the conditions of any of the injured.
ATF sending agents to scene of shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 17:30 , Graeme Massie
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) is also sending agents to the scene. The agency stated on Twitter “Special Agents from the Nashville Field Office are responding to assist the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department with an active shooter incident that has occurred at the Convenant School,” the agency tweeted.
Shooter dead and ‘multiple’ injured in shooting at Nashville Christian elementary school
Monday 27 March 2023 17:28 , Graeme Massie
Police have set up family reunification area nearby.
Shooter dead and ‘multiple’ injured in shooting at Nashville Christian school
Fire Department confirms ‘multiple patients'
Monday 27 March 2023 17:24 , Graeme Massie
Gunman dead after shooting at Nashville elementary school
Monday 27 March 2023 17:22 , Graeme Massie
Nashville elementary school shooting
Monday 27 March 2023 17:20 , Graeme Massie
This is a live blog covering a shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
