NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More information came to light Tuesday afternoon about the response to The Covenant School shooting that left seven dead, including the shooter.
Authorities with the Metro Nashville Police Department said none of the individuals — three 9-year-old students and three adults — weren't targeted at the school building. Police have interviewed Audrey Hale's parents, who told them that their child was under a doctor's care for an emotional disorder. They didn't want Hale to have guns, thinking Hale had sold the only gun Hale had.
Police said that wasn't the case. The shooter had ultimately purchased more firearms to make a total of seven, which were hidden in the Hale household.
"We don't have a motive at this time," MNPD Chief John Drake said. "In the manifesto, there are different writings about other locations. There were talks about the school. There was a map of the school and a drawing. There was quiet a bit of writing to it. Our team and the FBI has been working on this."
Drake said by the time he went into the school, the children shot had been transported. He saw the head of school near an office, where Drake could determine that the two met in the hallway. He said the shooter stood away from the glass to avoid being hit back, as the shooter fired at police when they entered the building.
It took 14 minutes from the time of the 911 call until the shooter was dead. Two members of an officer team fired on the shooter. Those two officers are officer Rex Englebert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran.
"I talked to the officers earlier, and they are trying to decompress and make sense of all of this," Drake said. "I talked to President Biden, and he’s going to reach out and talk to them as well. They are trying to remove themselves from this."
Asked if he would ask officers to do anything differently, Drake said each situation was evaluated.
"One of my principles is we are innovating and evolving to get better," Drake said. "From what I have seen, I don’t have a problem with it. We always want to get there in two or three minutes."
This story will update as we know more information.
On Monday, March 27, six people were shot and killed by a gunman at The Covenant School.
Police received the 911 call for the shooting at 10:13 a.m. Within 14 minutes, Metro Police were able to take down the shooter, 28-year-old Audrey Hale.
Hale gained access to the building through a side door that they shot through. From there, the shooter went upstairs and shot at police through the windows.
Two members of an officer team fired on Hale. Those two officers are officer Rex Englebert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran.
Who died in the shooting?
- Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
- Hallie Scruggs, 9
- William Kinney, 9
- Cynthia Peak, 61
- Katherine Koonce, 60
- Mike Hill, age 61
The shooter was a 28-year-old Nashvillian who lived in the Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood.
