A US Senator has called for a hate crime investigation after a transgender shooter shot and killed 6 people including 3 nine-year old children in a small Christian elementary school in Nashville.
Local police confirmed the shooter was 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who identified as transgender.
Hale, who police said was a former student at Covenant Presbyterian Church School, shot open a side door in the building before opening fire on children and staff with two assault-style rifles and a handgun.
She shot and killed three children: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all age 9. The school’s head teacher Katherine Koonce, 60, was also shot dead, as was Custodian Mike Hill and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, both 61.
Hale was shot and killed by police officers on the second floor of the school, 14 minutes after the alarm was raised.
Nashville police revealed that Hale, a biological woman, identified as transgender and had a map and a detailed manifesto to attack the Christian school.
“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this day,” Nashville Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake said.
Drake said that the police were “still in the initial investigation” into motivations for the crime and whether a transgender identity “actually played a role into this incident.”
Hale had indicated she now used used he/him pronouns and also went by the name Aiden in online profiles.
VIDEO: Nashville police chief confirms Audrey Hale identifies as transgender, suggests her trans identify motivated the killings: "We have a manifesto … and a map of how all of this was going to play out." pic.twitter.com/Mss0FPqnUn
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 27, 2023
The Nashville police added that another location had also been targeted, but that Hale had thought there was “too much security” at that location.
Senator Josh Hawley described the shooting as a “hate crime” which targeted a Christian community.
“This murderous rampage… was a horrific crime, but more specifically it was a hate crime. A crime, that according to Nashville police, specifically targeted… the members of this Christian community,” he said.
.@HawleyMO is never afraid to tell the truth.
"This murderous rampage… was a horrific crime, but more specifically it was a hate crime. A crime, that according to Nashville police, specifically targeted… the members of this Christian community." pic.twitter.com/RwbPNwSeZy
— Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) March 28, 2023
A group describing itself as the Trans Resistance Network came in for sharp criticism for its statement on the shooting which said that there were two tragedies – the shooting of the people at the school, but also the “second and more complex tragedy” of Hale who they said “felt he had no other effective way to be seen than to lash out by taking the lives of others.”
The statement provoked outrage, even though media outlets had rushed to correct themselves for what they saw as “misgendering” Audrey Hale as a woman.
The 'Trans Resistance Network' has released a statement that Audrey Hale is the real victim in the Christian school shooting pic.twitter.com/qNrsTpiM8B
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) March 28, 2023
Meanwhile, others focused on remembered the victims of the shooting.
This sweet angel, Hallie Scruggs, was one of the Nashville school victims. Her father, pictured with her, was the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church associated w/ the school. 💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/Bi95TpfQ6C
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) March 28, 2023
Katherine Koonce, the head master of the Covenant school also was killed in yesterday's school shooting in Nashville by a person who claimed to be a transgender. She died trying to protect the children. pic.twitter.com/ewslrHyvYk
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) March 28, 2023
Absolutely heartbreaking… Some of the victims of yesterday’s Covenant School shooting: student, Evelyn Dieckhaus, student, Hallie Scruggs with her family, custodian, Mike Hill, and headmaster, Dr. Katherine Koonce pic.twitter.com/Q7ffaHaATD
— Meaghan Thomas (@megtomwx) March 28, 2023
Cynthia Peak, 61
She was a substitute teacher at the school. She is survived by her husband, daughter and two sons. pic.twitter.com/llMn8UnG2Y
— Natasha ❀ (@ndelriego) March 28, 2023
Police are being praised for their rapid response to the shooting, and for putting their own lives on the line when entering the school as shots were being fired.
Heroes……
Pictured is Michael Collazo and Rex Englebert, the two Metro Nashville police officers credited with killing the active shooter inside of a Nashville church school.
Good guys with guns stopped a bad girl with a gun, before she could hurt more innocent victims. pic.twitter.com/QiSstfpj00
— DK🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 (@1Nicdar) March 28, 2023