Yesterday, we received the heartbreaking news that three children and three adults were shot and killed by a school shooter at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
The shooter has since been identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale (who identified as male named Aiden), who was shot and killed by police once they arrived on the scene. They arrived and neutralized the threat in less than fifteen minutes, saving who knows how many lives.
As more details emerge about the shooting, Nashville police has released bone chilling footage of Hale shooting out the door of the school with an AR-style 9mm pistol, and walking in with the gun pointed up.
You can see Hale, armed with two AR-style pistols and a handgun, walk around the inside of the school, where a total of approximately 200 students from preschool to the sixth grade were in class.
The shooter can be seen wearing a red hat backwards, along with military pants, and a dark vest, and checking unlocked rooms.
More footage shows Hale pulling into the school in a Honda Fit, and parking outside the entrance.
WARNING: Sensitive Content
The 28-year-old shot and killed three nine-year-old students and three staff members before being fatally shot by officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo.
According to the New York Post, Englebert is a four-year veteran, and Collazo is a nine-year vet.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Hale targeted the school, but picked the victims at random. The culprit was also former student at the school.
Drake also discussed a manifesto that Hale had created, saying:
“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this date, the actual incident. We have a map drawn out of how this was all going to take place.”
While searching the shooter’s home, police discovered a sawed-off shotgun and a second shotgun.
Drake referred to Hale with female pronouns, but noted that the shooter identified as a transgender male.
The victims of the attack were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and Williams Kinney, all nine-years-old, and custodian Mike Hill, 61, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60, the headmaster of the school.
Multiple vigils were held across the community for the tragic incident.
Paul Purdue, senior pastor at Belmont United Methodist Church, said:
“We need to take a step back. We need to breathe. We need to grieve.
We need to remember. We need to make space for others who are grieving. We need to hear the cries of our neighbors.”
When will it stop… our hearts break for the families involved.
