The Covenant School is in the wealthy Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, a few miles south of downtown, and enrolls about 200 students in preschool through sixth grade. The attack on Monday was the 13th school shooting in the United States this year that resulted in injury or death, according to Education Week.
The assailant who opened fire at the Christian elementary school in Nashville on Monday was identified by officials as Audrey E. Hale, a 28-year-old former student who lived in the area. The police said they had found writings and detailed maps of the school and its security protocols. Hale had entered the building through a side door, armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun (at least two were purchased legally), and went from the first floor to the second floor firing multiple shots. Wearing camouflage pants, a black vest, and a backward red baseball cap, the Hale walks through rooms and hallways with a weapon drawn.
The police chief said that the attack was targeted, rather than random, but that it was too early to discuss a possible motive.
The police identified the six victims as:
- Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
- William Kinney, 9
- Hallie Scruggs, 9, daughter of the church pastor, Chad Scruggs
- Mike Hill, 61, a school custodian
- Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher
- Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of school
In the aftermath of the shooting, there was confusion about the shooter’s gender identity. Chief Drake said the shooter identified as transgender, and officials used “she” and “her” to refer to the attacker. But according to a social media post and a LinkedIn profile, the shooter appeared to identify as male in recent months.