Nashville fire chief reflects on first responders actions on Covenant School shooting

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Nashville Fire Chief William Swann spoke with GMA 3 Tuesday about the first responders who sped to The Covenant School after three students and three adult staff members were shot.

GMA 3: Joined now by director Swann from the Nashville Fire Department. And your men and women were some of the first to respond to the scene. Tell me what they encountered when they got here.

NASHVILLE FIRE CHIEF WILLIAM SWANN: Oh, absolutely. We responded along with the Metro Police Department. We have a rescue task force team. We train for these moments and we wish they never happened. But as you can see, it’s something that happens all around the nation. So once the call came in, our job is a little different. Once the threat is neutralized, then our teams go inside alongside P.D., and we try to find individuals that we can pull out and begin lifesaving measures and also transport them to our local ERs…for more advanced medical treatment.

So, again, yesterday, as I reflect on just what happened and we think about how horrific it was; we had three kids that lost their lives [and] what their families are going through; [we had] the three adults [and] what they, what their families are going through; we [had] our first responders [and] what they’ve seen, and then [we had] the survivors, the kids and the staff that was there. This forever will be with them, the residue of this day.

Also, the community, the city, the state and the whole nation can actually feel what happened yesterday and take it personally because all of us have kids and we think about sending our kids to school to get [an] education and return home. It didn’t happen yesterday.

We were just thankful that the rapid response and what was done by our local police department and then our fire department and Office of Emergency Management.

It could have been a lot worse. But if you lose one life, that’s way too many. And definitely, a heart [fills] up when we think about all the victims that lost their life yesterday and their family members.

GMA 3: When you pull up to a place like this… these are little kids, young kids, the victims, 9 years old. How does that change how you interact, how you respond?

SWANN: Well, when you think about the nature of what the fire department does, and then that includes our EMS division, this is unfortunately the nature of what we do. We deal with people who are in distress and we deal with people if there’s a shooting, stabbing or homicide, whatever it may be, we deal with this every day. But being in this field for 28 years, I will tell you there’s nothing more gut-wrenching than responding to a child. Nothing.

That moment changes everything for you because we all can relate to the innocence of it. So, again, yesterday, we really want to focus on now that this scene is over. Again, our prayers go out to those families. And then also making sure that our responders are taken care of in mental health and just trying to make sure that the healing process begins. But it’s just a scene in something that we never want to do. But it’s the nature of our job and, unfortunately, in this day and time is more frequent than we want.

GMA 3: Those images of the children from yesterday: holding hands, filing out single file — that the child with just the absolutely terrified-looking face on the school bus. You guys have to organize all of that. The logistics of safely getting them out of the school into a new, new safe place to be. How do you do that in that situation?

SWANN: Well, this is because of training. We realize that no matter what that scene is, there have to be things that take place. And all of this goes back to training. We realize that instantly, once the threat is taken care of, we have to set up a reunification center. We have to make sure that we set a place up where parents can be reconnected with their children. We have to make sure also that on the scene itself, we know we’re going to be there for a while.

So a lot of logistics have to take place in this part of training. But when you step away from that moment and you get to yourself and you go home, of course we are reflecting and it becomes more personal because all of us have children, all of us have kids. And it is truly something that the whole nation can relate to, whether it’s here in Nashville or it’s in some other state or some other country. Again, this is just a tragic reality of where we are at in this day and time.

GMA 3: When you come home from this yesterday and when you came home, what do you say to your family?

SWANN: Well, my youngest son is still in high school and I have a grandson that lives with me that is in first grade. Just like any other parent, I’m sure when I came home, I wanted to see him. I wanted to hug him and express love. I think there’s no better medicine than to hug your kids and you get a laugh and a smile for them. And unfortunately, there were individuals that were not able to do that. So alongside feeling appreciative of your family, a heart goes out to those who will not be able to do that.

GMA 3: What do you say to those parents? Because there are parents all across America watching who this is their greatest nightmare and we keep seeing it happening. How do you prepare your kids? How do you have a conversation with them about what do you do in this situation?

SWANN: I’m glad you mentioned that.

We try to teach our kids about stop, drop and roll and what to do, if you will, if you catch on fire or home safety, [it’s] same way, [for] school safety. And we’re very fortunate because that’s one of the things that we do. We do a lot of training with the schools and they prepare for these types of incidents. What’s striking here is when you look at schools, you think about the safety of, especially if it’s a disaster, strong line winds or something. We know that schools are the safest place for kids to be. But when it’s man-made, then it breaks our barriers.

So I think training and preparing are always essential because yesterday that training paid off. And I’m sure as this story develops, there’s going to be a lot of great heroic stories from within and within that tragedy that will come out. But it’s just right now, I think what is needed is just reflection on your own life and then just the thoughts that goes out to the family members of the kids and the adults that lost their life.

Friend says she contacted authorities after speaking to Nashville shooter Audrey Hale on morning of attack

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — A friend of Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale tells ABC News that she contacted local authorities on Monday morning after Hale messaged her online about “planning to die today” — but that the authorities didn’t come to speak to her until after the attack had taken place.

Hale, 28, shot and killed three children and three adults in a mass shooting at the Covenant School Monday before being killed by responding police officers, according to authorities. Police said Hale may have previously attended the school.

Paige Patton, a Nashville radio host who goes by the name Averianna, told ABC News that said she played basketball with Hale in eighth grade and remained in occasional contact with Hale.

She said was contacted Monday morning by Hale, who told her, “I’m planning to die today. This is not a joke. You will probably hear about me on the news after I die.”

“This is my last goodbye,” Hale wrote, according to Patton. “I love you, see you again in another life.”

Patton said she messaged Hale back, saying, “Audrey, you have so much more life to live.'”

“I know, but I don’t want to live, I’m so sorry. I’m not trying to upset you or get attention, I just need to die. I wanted to tell you first because you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and known all my life,” Hale responded, according to Patton.

Patton said she sent her father a screenshot of Hale’s messages and asked him if she should call somebody. Her father said yes and recommended that she call the suicide prevention line, Patton told ABC News.

She spoke to someone at the suicide prevention line who suggested she call local authorities, according to Patten. When she did, they said they would send someone out to her location to review the screenshots, Patton said.

But Patton said no one came to see the messages themselves until that afternoon, after the shooting had taken place.

“The call stamp was 3:29 when someone finally had come to see the screenshots and see if they could, like, ping that Instagram [account] or whatnot,” Patton told ABC News.

Page said that Hale and her were “more so acquaintances” than friends, but Hale would come to various events that Patton hosted around Nashville, and that Hale, a graphic designer, would post drawings of Patton on social media.

Patton said she had heard over the years that Hale was suicidal, even as she described Hale as “happy” and “feisty” on the basketball court.

She said she doesn’t know why Hale was struggling, and wasn’t aware of any issues regarding Hale’s gender identity. A police spokesperson told ABC News that Hale, who was assigned female at birth, had a social media account that included the use of the pronouns he/him.

“I knew she liked girls, but I didn’t know anything about the preference of the he/she or switching over or transgender … I only know her as Audrey,” Patton told ABC News.

On her efforts to alert authorities, Patton said, “I just wanted to get help — I didn’t really know the severity of it. Just something in me told me, like, ‘You need to make these phone calls. You need to do what needs to be done.’ And I did the best I could.”

Page said that when she first heard Audrey was the shooter, “I literally was like, ‘I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this.’ And so I called my dad, and I was like, ‘Daddy, that was her.'”

“My heart is just … it’s just … I’m speechless,” Patton said of the attack. “It’s just so much to feel … the kids, and then the families, it’s a lot to try to wrap your head around. And to know that we don’t know what or why — it’s just crazy. It’s crazy.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988.

Nashville police lauded for speedy response in school shooting

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — The swift and organized police response to the school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday was roundly lauded by local officials and credited with preventing additional carnage and casualties.

A six-minute body camera video released Tuesday showed officers weaving through classrooms and corridors before approaching and neutralizing the shooter, who by then had shot and killed six people, including three students.

“They trained for that. And this moment happened and they didn’t hesitate at all,” Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.”

He added, “They responded, immediately went inside, knew the danger that was going on. Shots were being fired at the police cars. That did not deter them. They went anyway inside.”

The law enforcement response in Nashville stood in stark contrast with the events that unfolded last year at Robb Elementary School, where officers waited 77 minutes before confronting and killing the shooter.

John Cohen, a former Homeland Security official, veteran police training expert and ABC News contributor, reviewed and scrutinized body camera footage available from both incidents and found that the officers in Nashville did “exactly what we hope those who put on the badge will do when they confront a dangerous situation like an active shooter.”

“As a law enforcement professional, I watched The Covenant School video with an intense sense of pride,” Cohen said. “I know how hard those officers’ hearts are pumping and what that fear feels like. But this is why you sign up for the job. And they went in there and did it.”

Cohen laid out several key points that demonstrated how the officers successfully responded. They communicated with school officials and immediately tried to assess the situation — learning the number of suspects and determining where people were sheltered in place, he said. Moreover, officers operated with urgency and purpose to quickly clear rooms and communicate which rooms were cleared. After neutralizing the shooter, officers immediately formed security teams and began providing aid to the victims, he noted.

In Uvalde, responding law enforcement officials faced a deluge of scrutiny after a gunman shot and killed 21 people, including 19 students. After initially praising first responders for their efforts, state and local leaders eventually acknowledged cascading missteps that compounded the outcome of the attack.

“We failed,” Col. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told ABC News. “And I say ‘failed’ and I said ‘we’ … because collectively we did.”

Tornado destruction highlights low-income disaster preparedness challenges

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ROLLING FORK, Miss.) — The South was devastated by tornadoes last weekend – destroying homes, shattering families and leaving thousands to pick up the pieces of what they’ve lost. More than 20 people have died in connection with the storms, according to authorities.

Residents in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, one of the towns most devastated by the tornadoes, were first put under a tornado watch more than 2.5 hours before the first tornado touched down.

However, being prepared for a disaster at any moment’s notice can be difficult for low-income residents.

Sharkey County, home to Rolling Fork, has a 35% poverty rate, which is higher than Mississippi’s 19% poverty rate and the less than 12% U.S. poverty rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

More than half of Mississippi residents have fewer than $1,000 in savings and about 38% have no savings at all, the State Treasury of Mississippi reports.

Poverty can impact someone’s access to cellphones and other technology to receive weather alerts, access and financial support to transport oneself to a shelter or to evacuate, and more.

You have to “create a culture” of ongoing preparedness, particularly in a place where “but at the same time, the economics don’t let you do that,” said Tanya Gulliver-Garcia, the director of learning and partnerships at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy,

Research from the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University found that nearly two-thirds of American households don’t have adequate plans and supplies for a disaster.

Studies have also shown that people in poverty, with low incomes and with less education, are less prepared for disasters.

According to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, cellphones have been a great tool for warning residents with emergency alerts.

However, ensuring that people of all economic backgrounds have the technology to be reached “is something that we have to – to continually look at what we can do to better inform people,” Criswell told ABC News in an interview.

“We need to really talk to these families and find out how they would have better gotten this message because we have to always work on giving people early warnings,” she told ABC News.

Especially in places like Mississippi, which experiences 30 to 100 tornadoes each year, ensuring that tornado watches and warnings are being heeded is a struggle within itself, according to ABC News’ meteorologist Ginger Zee.

Gulliver-Garcia also found that access to transportation plays a big role before and after a disaster.

The closest rated tornado shelter from Rolling Fork is 17 miles west in Mayersville.

“A number of people didn’t have cars or cars that were properly working and then they got destroyed,” said Gulliver-Garcia. “Because they’re small towns, they also don’t have a public transit system. Even the ability to access any kind of support – to go to a disaster recovery center, get to a shelter, to a feeding program – those are all challenges.”

Living paycheck-to-paycheck makes it harder to save and be prepared for a tragedy — and it also hinders recovery, .

“Your home is destroyed and the place where you lived is no longer accessible to you … And then if you are working paycheck-to-paycheck or you’re working a job that was destroyed – If you’re not allowed back in the community right away, you’re not even getting that paycheck-to-paycheck anymore. That’s gone as well,” Gulliver-Garcia said.

With thousands in likely home repair and recovery costs, rebuilding can snowball into compounding debt.

“In some of these communities, they are certainly some of the poorest communities in the state,” Criswell said. “And we know that we’re going to have to bring the full force of the federal family in there to come help them.”

Timeline: How the Nashville shooting at Covenant School unfolded

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Three children and three adults were killed in a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday.

The alleged shooter, who was identified by police as 28-year-old Nashville resident Audrey Elizabeth Hale, was killed by officers.

Here is the timeline of what we know took place, according to investigators. All times are local.

9:54 a.m.: The suspect’s vehicle is seen on surveillance cameras arriving at the school and parking in the parking lot.

10:10 a.m.: The suspect is seen in surveillance footage shooting through the front door and entering the building.

10:13 a.m.: Nashville Police receive a call of an active shooter inside Covenant School.

The suspected shooter allegedly entered the Christian school through a side entrance and went from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots, police said.

Officers entered the school and began clearing it when they heard shots coming from the second level, according to investigators.

A team of five officers arrived on the second level and saw a shooter who was firing. Two officers engaged the suspect, who was fatally shot, according to investigators.

10:27 a.m.: The suspected shooter is declared dead, investigators said.

What we know about Tennessee’s gun laws after Nashville shooting

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Ketchana Jedsenarak/EyeEm/Getty Images/STOCK

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Over the last few years, gun laws in Tennessee have become less strict after lawmakers approved legislation that removed requirements for permits and background checks.

Despite calls from local law enforcement, Republican lawmakers are now looking to loosen the state’s gun laws even further, contending that gun owners’ rights need to be expanded.

Debate over the bill continues as the state recovers from Monday’s mass shooting at a Christian school outside Nashville that left three children and three adults dead. Nashville Chief of Police John Drake told reporters Tuesday that the suspect legally purchased the weapons used in the Covenant School shooting.

State lawmakers have introduced gun-related bills that would allow permit carriers to bring their weapons to college campuses and another that would allow school staff members to carry a handgun.

On March 21, the Tennessee House’s Civil Justice Subcommittee voted to approve HB1005, a bill introduced by Rep. Rusty Grills that would rename “enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits as enhanced and concealed firearm carry permits.”

According to the state’s constitution, residents “have a right to keep and to bear arms for their common defense; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.”

Tennessee enacted a law in July of 2021 that allowed the permitless carry of handguns, both concealed and unconcealed, for anyone over the age of 21.

“I signed constitutional carry today because it shouldn’t be hard for law-abiding Tennesseans to exercise their #2A rights,” Gov. Bill Lee tweeted after signing the law.

He thanked the Republican-led general assembly and National Rifle Association for “helping get this done.”

Currently, there are no requirements for background checks or trainings for handgun owners in Tennessee. Under the provisions, law enforcement members and military members between 18 and 20 are also allowed to carry their handguns without a permit.

Rifles and shotguns are allowed to be purchased by anyone over 18 and be carried without a permit but there are restrictions. Firearms are not permitted “if it is not concealed on or about the person and must be unloaded” and the owner is not allowed to carry the ammunition of those long guns on their person or in their “immediate vicinity,” according to the law.

Guns are prohibited for residents who have a felony conviction, a DUI conviction, reported mental health problems and undocumented legal status.

The state prohibits guns from being brought to locations like schools, any place that serves alcohol, public parks, courts and government buildings, according to the law. Private businesses are also allowed to prohibit firearms from their properties and must make it clear with signage, according to the law.

State gun owners can still apply for gun permits in other states through the state’s Department of Homeland Security. Those include enhanced permits, which require an eight-hour safety training course, and concealed permits which require a background check and a $100 fee.

When the permitless carry bill was being debated in the statehouse, several law enforcement agencies said they opposed the move.

During testimony in 2021, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation senior policy adviser Jimmy Musice said the state’s previous handgun permit system helped prevent roughly 5,500 people from carrying a weapon after the checks determined they were ineligible.

“We don’t have any issue and support the underlying policy that those that are legally permissible to carry possess a firearm and defend themselves,” he testified. “The permit process allows us to actually do that by knowing if that person truly is lawful.”

Lee told reporters at the time that he was committed to loosening the state’s gun laws.

“You can protect the Second Amendment and you can protect the citizens of our state at the same time,” he said.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Matt Perry testified at the March 21 hearing, saying he was worried about law enforcement interacting with residents with high-capacity ammo weapons.

“Because of constitutional carry, we can’t ask them who they are, what they’re doing, [or] why they have it. We just have to let it happen,” he said.

Lee tweeted out a statement after Monday’s shooting, saying that he was “closely monitoring the tragic situation.”

“Please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community,” he said.

Shortly after Monday’s shooting, Democratic state Rep. Bo Mitchell, who represents parts of Nashville, spoke with ABC News Live about his frustrations with his colleagues over their stances on gun control.

“I spoke with a lot of these parents all day. During the hours I was there, not a single parent asked me for a thought or a prayer. They asked for me and my colleagues to have some courage and do something about this,” he said.

Nashville school shooting updates: Dramatic body camera footage released

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Benjamin Hendren/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Nashville police have released dramatic body camera footage from two officers who fired at the shooter who killed three children and three adults in a mass shooting at a small, private Christian school.

The video shows the officers entering the Covenant School Monday morning and following the sound of the gunfire to the second floor. They found the suspect — identified by police as Audrey Hale, 28, of Nashville — in a lobby area on the second floor, police said.

After an officer shouted “reloading,” the video shows officers Rex Engelbert, a four-year veteran, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year veteran, firing at the suspect.

Hale was shot dead about 14 minutes after the initial 911 call came in, according to police.

“They didn’t hesitate at all,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said of the officers on Good Morning America Tuesday.

The slain children were identified by police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old. The adult victims were identified as 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61-year-old custodian Mike Hill and 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, who was head of the school.

“Yesterday was just a tragic event,” Drake said. “I’ve done this job for 35 years and I prayed that this would never, never be a day that we would have to deal with.”

Authorities believe the suspect was a former student, and while the school was likely targeted, Drake said it appears the “students were randomly targeted.”

The suspect was armed with at least two assault-style rifles, a handgun and “significant ammunition” on Monday, police said.

Hale had legally purchased seven guns from five different local gun stores, the chief told reporters on Tuesday.

Hale allegedly shot through a locked door on the side of the building to gain entry, according to police. As authorities responded to the scene, the suspect fired on police cars from a second-floor window, police said.

The victims were found in different locations, Drake said. The custodian was struck when the shooter sprayed rounds at the glass door to enter, Drake said, and the head of school was found in the hallway.

Investigators searched Hale’s home where they seized “a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun and other evidence,” according to police.

“We do have writings and a book we consider to be like a manifesto,” the police chief said of Hale. “We do have a map of the school, where it was diagrammed how she would enter and how she might proceed to take on potential victims.”

“We have not been able to determine a motive as of yet,” the chief said. “The investigation is very much still ongoing.”

There is also “some speculation that the shooter did reach out to maybe a friend or some other people,” Drake said, “but as of right now that’s unconfirmed.”

“We’ll continue picking up where we left off yesterday and see where it leads us,” he added. “As soon as we know more, we’ll continue to put the facts out there.”

Drake had told reporters on Monday that the suspect was female and identified as transgender but didn’t immediately provide more details. A police spokesperson later told ABC News that the suspect was assigned female at birth but pointed to a social media account linked to the alleged shooter that included the use of the pronouns he/him.

The Covenant School, which teaches preschool through sixth grade, does not have a school resource officer, according to police. There are about 209 students and 40 to 50 staff members.

In a statement released Monday night, the Covenant School said its community “is heartbroken.”

“We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our church and school,” the school said. “We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.”

“There’s nothing more gut-wrenching than responding to a child,” Nashville Fire Chief William Swann told ABC News’ GMA3. “That moment changes everything for you, because we all can relate to the innocence of it.”

President Joe Biden on Monday called the shooting “a family’s worst nightmare.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that Congress must take action on gun legislation.

“What we need from congressional Republicans is courage,” she told ABC News’ GMA3 on Tuesday. “What do you say to those parents? What do you say to those families? You can’t say to them, ‘There’s nothing else that can be done.’ That’s not what their job is as legislators.”

The “majority of Americans want common sense gun safety laws, they want to see [an] assault weapons ban. These are weapons of war,” she said. “The president has done his part. We need Congress to do their part.”

ABC News’ Alex Faul, Matt Foster, James Hill, Doug Lantz, Molly Nagle, Darren Reynolds, John Santucci and Moe Zoyari contributed to this report.

Nashville school shooting updates: Authorities search for answers with motive unknown

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Authorities are searching for answers after a shooter killed six people at a private Christian elementary school in Tennessee’s capital city on Monday morning.

The suspect — identified as Audrey Hale, 28, of Nashville — had a detailed map of the Covenant School and allegedly shot through the door to gain entry before gunning down three students and three staff members, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. A motive remains unknown.

“We have not been able to determine a motive as of yet. The investigation is still very much ongoing,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake told ABC News in an interview Tuesday on Good Morning America.

The slain children were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old. The deceased adults were identified as 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61-year-old custodian Mike Hill and 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, who was head of the school, police said.

The suspect was armed with at least two assault-style rifles as well as a handgun. At least two of those weapons were purchased legally and locally, according to police.

About 14 minutes after the initial 911 call came in, officers shot and killed the suspect in a lobby area on the second floor of the school, police said.

Investigators believe the suspect was a former student. The suspect had a map “of how this was all going to take place” as well as “writings,” and it appears the shooting was a targeted attack, according to Drake.

Drake had told reporters that the suspect was female and identified as transgender but didn’t immediately provide more details. A police spokesperson later told ABC News that the suspect was assigned female at birth but pointed to a social media account linked to the suspect that included the use of the pronouns he/him.

The Covenant School is for students in preschool through sixth grade. There are about 209 students and 40 to 50 staff members. It does not have a school resource officer, police said.

Nashville school shooting updates: Three kids, three staff killed; suspect dead

March 28, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — A shooter armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun killed three students and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday morning, authorities said.

The suspect, identified by police as Audrey Hale, 28, of Nashville, had a detailed map of Covenant School, a school for students in preschool through sixth grade, and allegedly shot through the door to gain entry to the school, police said.

The children were identified by Nashville police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old. The slain adults were identified as Cynthia Peak, 61; Mike Hill, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60, who was the head of the school, according to police.

Peak was a substitute teacher and Hill was a custodian, according to investigators.

The suspect was shot and killed by authorities in a lobby area on the second floor of the school roughly 14 minutes after the 911 call was placed, according to police.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake had said the suspect was female and identified as transgender but didn’t immediately provide more details. A police spokesperson later told ABC News the shooter was assigned female at birth but pointed to a social media account linked to the shooter that included the use of the pronouns he/him.

Drake also said authorities believe the suspect was a former student.

No one who was shot survived, officials said.

Drake said he “was literally moved to tears to see” the young students as they were “ushered out of the building.”

The suspect was armed with at least two assault-type rifles and a handgun, officials said. At least two of those weapons were purchased legally, investigators said.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on Monday night released images of three weapons, as well as footage of the suspect driving and parking at the building, allegedly shooting through the door and walking around inside the facility while holding a gun.

The suspect had a map “of how this was all going to take place,” and writings, according to Drake. It appears the shooting was a targeted attack, according to the chief.

Authorities said the suspect entered the school through a side entrance and went from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots. It appears all the doors were locked and the suspect allegedly shot through a door, officials said.

The shooting was reported at 10:13 a.m. and the suspect was dead by 10:27 a.m., according to police. The officers who fatally shot the suspect were later identified by police as Rex Englebert, a four-year veteran of the force, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year veteran of the MNPD.

A car found near the school helped authorities identify the suspect, and authorities responded to the suspect’s home, Drake said.

Police later announced that they seized “a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun and other evidence” from the home.

In a statement Monday night, the Covenant School said its community “is heartbroken.”

“We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our church and school,” the statement read, in part. “We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.”

Throughout the day and afternoon, students were reunited with concerned parents. Families of the staff said they were shocked with the violence that had transpired.

Alex Apple told ABC News Live that his mother works at the school’s front desk, and she was at her car when she got an alert saying to shelter in place.

“She got out of her car, heard the gunshots, so she fled,” he said.

The school has about 209 students and about 40 to 50 staff members, officials said. Police said the school does not have a school resource officer.

President Joe Biden called the shooting “a family’s worst nightmare.”

The president once again urged Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, saying, “It’s about time that we begin to make some more progress.” Biden ordered flags at half-staff through Friday to honor the victims.

First lady Jill Biden said Monday, “I am truly without words. Our children deserve better.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee tweeted that he’s “closely monitoring the tragic situation.”

“Please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community,” Lee said.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked first responders for their swift action and called on Nashville residents to reach out and help one another.

“In this dark hour let us support each other,” he said during a news conference.

Tennessee state Rep. Bo Mitchell spoke to Linsey Davis on ABC News Live Prime on Monday night, saying: “My two teenage boys leave, and with every expectation, I expect them to come home in the afternoon. We’ve got three parents tonight; their children did not get to come home today and it is sad.”

Mitchell said he spent hours with students’ parents on Monday, who wanted him and his colleagues to take action.

“Not a single parent asked me for a thought or a prayer,” he said. “They asked for me and my colleagues to have some courage and do something about this.”

Some parents took to social media in the wake of the Covenant School shooting to express their frustration of yet another mass shooting.

Kimberly Garcia, who lost her daughter, Amerie Jo Garza, in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, tweeted, “When is enough going to be enough?”

“6 more innocent lives TAKEN? But it’s not the guns right ? Wake up people,” she wrote.

Lives Robbed, a group made up of some Uvalde victims’ families advocating for changes in gun laws around the country, also tweeted their support for the Nashville families who lost loved ones Monday.

“We are with you. This is why we fight for change,” the group tweeted.

‘Nightmare’: Six killed in ‘calculated’ mass shooting at Nashville school