Nashville police have launched video of the second an attacker entered a faculty earlier than taking pictures six individuals lifeless, together with three 9 12 months olds.
Audrey Elizabeth Hale was shot lifeless after they had been confronted by police on the non-public Christian faculty.
Hale, 28, who recognized as transgender, was described by officers as a “lone zealot”, who lived in Nashville, and was armed with two assault-type weapons, and a handgun.
Hale had a manifesto and detailed maps of the college, and entered the constructing by taking pictures by means of its doorways earlier than the killings.
The video exhibits the doorways’ panes smashing into smithereens as Hale makes their manner in.
Hale is proven wandering the college premises holding the rifle.
Police chief John Drake stated: “We have a manifesto. We have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this day, the actual incident. We have a map drawn out about how this was all going to take place.”
The six victims have been named as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all aged 9, 61-year-olds Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill, and 60-year-old Katherine Koonce who was the college’s headteacher.
Officers began receiving studies of an assault at 10.13am (4.13pm UK time) and as police started clearing the bottom flooring of the college they heard gunfire coming from the second flooring.
Two officers from a five-member group opened fireplace in response and fatally shot the suspect at 10.27am (4.27pm).
The three youngsters, who had been all college students, had been pronounced lifeless after they arrived at hospital.
The attacker died after being “engaged by” officers, police stated in a Twitter publish.
A doable motive for Hale’s gun violence shouldn’t be identified.
Vigils are below manner, as Nashville residents left flowers, balloons and different tributes to the victims on the faculty.
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Biden condemns ‘sick’ assault
US President Joe Biden referred to as Monday’s assault “sick” and “heartbreaking”.
He stated the US must do extra to guard faculties and he referred to as on the Senate to move the assault weapons ban – which might criminalise the understanding sale, manufacture, switch, possession or importation of many sorts of semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines.
No one else was shot within the assault on the faculty, which teaches college students as much as sixth grade (round 12 years previous).
So far this 12 months, there have been 89 US faculty shootings – outlined as when a gun is fired on faculty property.
In 2022, there have been 303 such incidents, the best of any 12 months within the Ok-12 faculty taking pictures database, which fits again to 1970.
Other pupils walked to security, holding arms as they left their faculty surrounded by police automobiles, to a close-by church the place they had been reunited with their mother and father.
Officers with rifles, heavy vests and helmets may very well be seen strolling by means of the college automotive park and across the perimeter of the constructing.
Helicopter footage additionally confirmed the officers trying round a wooded space between the campus and a close-by street.
Police stated no officers had been deployed to the college on the time of the taking pictures as a result of it’s a church-run faculty.
Nashville mayor John Cooper thanked emergency providers for his or her response to the assault.
He tweeted: “In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting.
“My coronary heart goes out to the households of the victims. Our complete metropolis stands with you.”
‘Unimaginable tragedy’
Democrat state consultant Bob Freeman, whose district contains the Covenant School, referred to as the taking pictures an “unimaginable tragedy”.
“I live around the corner from Covenant and pass by it often. I have friends who attend both church and school there,” Mr Freeman stated.
“I have also visited the church in the past. It tears my heart apart to see this.”
The Covenant School has about 200 college students from pre-school to sixth grade and was based as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in 2001, in response to the college’s web site.
Source: information.sky.com”