CRIME
Covenant School Shooting Claims Six Lives in Nashville, TN (PHOTOS)
Three students and three adult staff are dead after a shooting at a private school in Nashville, Tenn., Monday morning, and the shooter was killed by police, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
The shooting occurred at The Covenant School, an elementary school at the Covenant Presbyterian Church on Burton Hills Drive shortly after 10 a.m., police said.
The deceased victims were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, all age 9; Mike Hill, 61; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Katherine Koonce, 60.
Police identified the shooter as 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, though some social media indicates Hale identified as a transgender man and went by the first name Aiden. Hale shot into the building through a glass door to gain entry, armed with two assault-style firearms and a 9mm handgun, police said.
Police said two officers entered the building and followed the sound of gunfire to a common area on the second floor, where they fatally shot Hale. Those officers were identified as Rex Englebert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran.
A photo shared by MNPD shows the law enforcement response at the scene.
According to police, Hale was once a student at the school. Investigators found “writings” that indicated Hales attack was “calculated and planned,” police said. A search of Hales home “resulted in the seizure of a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun, and other evidence,” police said.
The investigation is ongoing.
