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Metro Nashville Police say a former student carrying two assault rifles and a handgun killed three students and three adults at The Covenant School in Nashville Monday, March 27.
Police identified the shooting suspect by his name at birth, Audrey Hale, and did not provide another name. He was a transgender man who used male pronouns. The police initially identified him as a woman. They say he entered the school through a side entrance and started shooting.
Shortly before 10:30 am, police responded to the school and were able to locate the suspect on the second floor of the school in a lobby where they fatally shot him.
Follow along for updates on this developing story.
Uvalde parents speak out against Nashville school shooting
Parents of victims in the Uvalde school shooting shared their thoughts in the San Antonio Express-News.
“Our kids aren’t safe. Schools aren’t safe,” tweeted Kimberly Garcia, who lost her 10-year-old daughter, Amerie Jo Garza, in Uvalde. “My daughter wasn’t safe, her life was taken from her. My son isn’t safe and it keeps me up all night. How am I supposed to be OK with leaving him at school? There’s no way.”
Lives Robbed, a nonprofit formed by relatives of Uvalde victims, said the pain for families is just beginning.
“We are tired,” the group tweeted Monday. “We know that, for the families of the victims at Covenant, this hell is just beginning. We are with you. This is why we fight for change.”
Monday’s shooting Galdys Gonzalez felt numb, after experiencing the pain of the Uvalde shooting.
“Sadly, we all knew this would happen,” she said. “But there’s no getting used to this. When will it ever be enough? Tennessee, our hearts go out to you,” Gonzalez, the mother of 10-year-old survivor Caitlyne Gonzalez said.
Through tears and a shaky voice: The story of Evelyn Dieckhaus
At the end of the service, senior minister, Clay Stauffer, shared through tears and a shaky voice, a story of Evelyn Dieckhaus. Evelyn was a third grader at Covenant. Her sister, a fifth grader, is a member of the disciples class at Woodmont with plans of being baptized in a couple of weeks. Evelyn’s sister cried as she said, “I don’t want to be an only child.” The Woodmont Christian Church will be organizing a fund for the affected families as a way to help with counseling costs.
Christ Presbyterian Church vigil
Soft music played as people shuffled into pews at Christ Presbyterian Church, 2323 Old Hickory Boulevard, for Monday night’s prayer vigil. Hundreds of people were gathered by 6:30 pm, when the vigil was scheduled to begin. Organizers had placed bottles of water and boxes of tissues at the entrance to the sanctuary. Gentle chatter punctuated the air as congregants waited.
Vigils begin to mourn Nashville shooting victims
A box of tissues sat at the end of each pew at Woodmont Christ Church Monday night.
A group of people stood at the entrance greeting people as they came in with tears rolling down their cheeks.
Candles were lit, the crowd was hushed, as Nashvillians began the long process of grieving Monday’s shooting of three children and three adults at Covenant School.
Some guests came along, others with families clutching them, but they all shared the same solemn look.
Lauren Daigle postpones concert, pivots to prayer vigil
In light of the mass shooting at Covenant School, Lauren Daigle’s exclusive album preview concert tonight has been postponed. The event has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 5. All tickets for the originally scheduled date will be honored.
In place of the album preview, Daigle will hold a community prayer vigil, at 7:30 pm Monday at Marathon Music Works, 1402 Clinton St.
Giving help to families of Covenant School
“The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is heartbroken by the horrific and senseless shooting that took place on Monday, March 27 at The Covenant School here in Nashville. Because of the outpouring of love from our generous and thoughtful community, we have established the Caring for Covenant Fund to manage the donations made in response to this tragedy,” Hal Cato, CEO, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee said in a statement.
Gifts can be made to the Fund at www.cfmt.org/covenant.
All donations made to the Fund, minus credit card fees, will be directed to The Covenant School to support the healing of those affected by this tragedy. Together, we will send a message of love and compassion to the entire Covenant community.
Police body camera footage could be released by Tuesday
MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron said police will remain at the scene processing evidence.
Aaron said body cam footage of the police response to the mass shooting will be released either Monday evening or Tuesday.
Honoring those killed in the Covenant School shooting
Several vigils will be held Monday to honor the three children and three adults killed in the mass shooting at Covenant School in Nashville.
Here is a list of vigils planned across Nashville Monday evening:
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6 pm Bethlehem UMC, 2419 Bethlehem Loop Road
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6 pm Woodmont Christian 3601 Hillsboro Pike
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6:30 pm Christ Presbyterian Church, 2323 Old Hickory Boulevard.
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6:30 pm Christ UMC, 508 Franklin Rd., Franklin
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6:30 pm Belmont UMC, 2007 Acklen Ave.
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7 pm Lipscomb University will hold a vigil at Bison Square on campus
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7:30 pm Church of the City at Rocketown 601 4th Ave S.
Vigils planned tomorrow
Police: Covenant School shooting suspect targeted another school
Another Nashville location was mentioned, but Hale’s threat assessment of that location determined there was too much security, Drake said. Police are continuing that investigation as well. The location was not provided.
Nashville police find manifesto, plan
Police chief John Drake said during a search of a Brightwood Avenue home, investigators found a manifesto and plan after making contact with Hale’s father at the home.
Hale, who police say acted alone, had no prior criminal history. Two of the three guns used by Hale were obtained locally, according to the police.
Nashville school shooting suspect identified
Police identified the shooter by his name at birth, Audrey Hale, 28, and did not provide another name. He was a transgender man who used male pronouns.
Police determined maps were drawn of schools with surveillance and entry points.
He shot through one of the doors to enter the school, police say.
Nashville sports stars heartbroken after shooting
The Tennessee Titans released a statement via Twitter Monday offering condolences “to the families and friends of the victims, and the entire Covenant School community.”
Several Titans players, including running back Derrick Henry, released statements of anguish.
“I am heartbroken and sick over the lives lost today,” Henry wrote.
Nashville SC midfielder Dax McCarty said in a tweet he drives by The Covenant School every day on the way to training.
“It’s easy to wallow in your own misery after a bad game or a bad day, but news like this hits you in the chest like a freight train and you realize how trivial those feelings are,” McCarty wrote. “Devastated for those families and our community.”
Nashville school shooting victims identified
The six victims fatally shot by the active shooter at Covenant School are identified as: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, Cynthia Peak, age 61, Katherine Koonce, age 60, and Mike Hill, age 61.
Koonce was the headmaster at the school.
About the neighborhood where shooting happened
The community where Covenant School is located is one of the most affluent in Tennessee. It incorporates the towns of Green Hills, Belle Meade and Forest Hills, as well as areas in Williamson County. The private Christian school’s zip code of 37215 has one of the state’s highest average household incomes, and enjoys bustling retail districts.
In 2020, the 37215 zip code ranked the area as the most expensive place to buy a home with a median home sale price of $719,000.
Families speeding to Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Shortly following the shooting, a heavy vehicle presence could be seen as ambulances and police vehicles flooded Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Throughout the afternoon, parents and family members could be seen speeding into the Children’s Emergency Center, ushered in by metro police. Some could be seen clutching tissues and phones as they ran into the facility, and the wails of family members could be heard echoing through the parking lot.
By 3:45 pm, Vanderbilt spokespersons could not reveal the number of young victims in the facility.
Raid on nearby home follows after shooting investigation
Police and at least one FBI agent cordoned off a section of Brightwood Avenue and went in and out of a Tudor style home in the 3000 block about 3 pm Monday. The home is located three miles from the school. Neighbors clumped together and chatted back and forth watching the police activity. Bowen Satterfield, 16, was at his house nearby when he heard a loud bang about 1:30 pm “I thought something was wrong at the church,” he said. “Then I heard it again.”
More:What we know about The Covenant School shooting in Nashville
Satterfield said he called his friend, Drew. Together they ventured out to investigate and found dozens of police at the home. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” 18-year-old Drew Thornton said. “It’s a quiet neighborhood.”
Nashville shooting suspect believed to be former student
MNPD chief John Drake originally the shooting suspect was a former student at The Covenant School.
Police say the shooter entered the building from a side door and opened fire on the first floor. Within 14 minutes, a team of five officers followed the sounds of gunfire to a second floor lobby where they fatally shot the suspect.
Prior to being shot, the mass shooter killed three children and three adults, police say.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville school shooting: Latest updates on Covenant School shooting