Nashville School Shooting (Updated every 15 min)
A tragic mass shooting unfolded at the Covenant School, a private Christian institution of just about 200 students affiliated with Covenant Presbyterian Church, located at Burton Hills Drive in Nashville, Tennessee. The school serves children in pre-school up through sixth grade, and the community is now grappling with the fallout of this horrific event.
In the chaos of the attack, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) swiftly engaged with the threat and confirmed that the shooter has been killed. The MNPD has also confirmed that the death toll is up to seven people with three children, the shooter and three additional adults killed. Five of the six victims were transported to Vanderbilt hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to early reports, the shooter was a 28-year-old Nashville woman, who is believed to be a former student of the school. She was reportedly armed with 2 assault rifles and a handgun. She was shot and killed by police on the second floor of the school within 14 minutes of the first 911 call.
As authorities continue their investigation, the parent community is rallying at a designated reunification location, Woodmont Baptist Church, addressed at 2100 Woodmont Blvd. The Nashville branch of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has also deployed agents in a show of support and assistance to the MNPD.
First responders have been working tirelessly to manage the scene at Covenant School, with the Nashville Fire Department urging parents to direct their attention to 20 Burton Hills for further instructions. As the situation unfolds, the community at large is left grappling with the devastating consequences of violence in their hometown.
US Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee released a statement saying, “Chuck & I are heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. My office is in contact with federal, state, & local officials, & we stand ready to assist. Thank you to the first responders working on site. Please join us in prayer for those affected.”
Blackburn has asked that everyone stay clear of the area unless you are a parent or loved one.
This school shooting, which took place at approximately 10:13 a.m., is thought to be the fifth incident of its kind in the Nashville region since 2011 and the first one to occur since 2018. This is the 129th mass shooting of 2023, according to BradyUnited.org. In 2023, there have been 5 mass shootings in Tennessee alone.
This is a developing story. We will update it as news comes in.
