Several desks in a classroom

“I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building.”

Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said in a press conference after a fatal shooting occurred at a local private school on Monday morning, killing at least three students and three adults.

Published on

mar 27, 2023

Here are some of the basics. As with any breaking story, we expect the facts to evolve.

Video from Nashville PD of the shooter entering school: GRAPHIC VIDEO

Press Conference on Monday:

Body camera footage from the Nashville PD: WARNING OF GRAPHIC CONTENT

Press Conference on Tuesday around 12 PM Central Time:

Who: There were seven deaths in total at a shooting at The Covenant School – a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee – on Monday morning. Three students – Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney – as well as three staff members – Cynthia Peak (61), Katherine Koonce (60) and Mike Hill (61) – were killed. The 28-year-old suspect is also dead. Police have identified the shooter as Audrey Hale; The Associated Press reported on Tuesday morning: "In an email Tuesday, police spokesperson Kristin Mumford said Hale 'was assigned female at birth. Hale did use male pronouns on a social media profile.'" One officer was reported injured from cut glass, though no other officers have been reported injured.

What: Police said the suspect – who they said was a former student of the school – entered the school through a side entrance, proceeding to the second floor of the school. The suspect opened fire on her way up the stairs, police said.

When: Monday morning. Police said they received the first call about the shooter at 10:13 am and fatally shot the suspect at 10:27 am, 14 minutes later.

Where: A private Christian school in Nashville called The Covenant School – it is a Presbyterian school which has around 200 students from preschool through sixth grade, "as well as roughly 50 staff members" (The Associated Press).

Why: The motive is currently unknown as "The investigation by several MNPD [Metropolitan Nashville Police Department] components, with assistance from our partners at the TBI, FBI, ATF and THP, is continuing." Police have said the shooter had no criminal record, but also confirmed the shooter had a manifesto and map. On Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief Drake said that after interviewing the shooter's parents, police determined the shooter had legally purchased the firearms used in the shooting and had been hiding them. He noted the shooter been "under doctors care for an emotional disorder" and that the parents felt the shooter should not own weapons, as well as noting the parents were not aware of the shooter owning weapons at the time of the shooting.

Notable quotes/information; this is a developing story:

A student reunification center has been set up at Woodmont Baptist Church in Nashville.

President Joe Biden spoke about the shooting on Monday at an unrelated White House event, and said, "It's ripping at the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of this nation."

Metropolitan Nashville Police Department: Investigation Continuing into Today's Active Shooter Murders at Covenant School

Three children, three adults, shooter dead after Nashville private school mass shooting (WZTV Nashville; See LIVE coverage from WZTV HERE)

Police: Nashville school shooting suspect was former student (The Associated Press)

Sign up today to

Get SmartHER News In Your Inbox

Read our Privacy Policy