Covenant School Church Pastor’s Daughter, 9, Among 6 Victims Who Died in Nashville School Shooting
Nashville #Nashville
Hallie Scruggs is one of three 9-year-olds who died when shots rang out at a private Christian school on Monday morning
The pastor of a Nashville church is mourning the death of his daughter after a former pupil opened fire at the church’s school, killing three students and three adults.
Hallie Scruggs, 9, is the daughter of Chad Scruggs, who is the senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to multiple reports. The child was one of three 9-year-olds who were fatally shot on Monday morning. Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney also died along with Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
According to its website, The Covenant School was founded in 2001 by the Covenant Presbyterian Church, and the average enrollment is between 195 and 210 students.
Don Aaron, the Nashville Police Department spokesman, said the shooter entered The Covenant School through the side entrance before opening fire. The shooter was engaged on the second floor of the building by two police officers who responded to a 10:13 a.m. call. The shooter died at the scene, Aaron said.
Related:Survivor of Illinois July 4 Mass Shooting Was in Nashville on Vacation During School Attack: ‘This is America’
Aaron added there were no other gunshot victims, but a police officer was injured by broken glass.
The shooter had two “assault-type rifles” and one pistol, said Aaron. The shooter was dead by 10:27 a.m.
The shooter has been identified as Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old who once attended The Covenant School.
Related:Nashville School Shooter Identified in Attack that Killed 6 People, Including 3 Children
President Joe Biden addressed the shooting on Monday afternoon during the Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Summit.
“It’s sick,” Biden said. “We’re still gathering the facts of what happened and why and we do know that as of now, there are a number of people who did not make it, including children. It’s heartbreaking. A family’s worst nightmare.”
Biden thanked Nashville officers saying they “responded incredibly swiftly, within minutes, to end the danger.”
RELATED VIDEO: 3 Children, 3 Adults Killed in Nashville School After 28-Year-Old Woman Opens Fire; Shooter Also Dead
“We have to do more to stop gun violence,” Biden continued. “It’s ripping our communities apart. Ripping the soul of this nation, and we have to do more to protect our schools so that they aren’t turned into prisons. You know, the shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol — two AK-47s, so I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban. It’s about time that we begin to make some more progress.”
Dr. Jill Biden, who was delivering remarks at a National League of Cities event when word of the shooting circulated, told the crowd, “We just learned about another shooting in Tennessee – a school shooting. And I am truly without words. And our children deserve better. And we stand, all of us, with Nashville in prayer.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he is closely monitoring the situation in a tweet and wrote, “As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community.”
According to statistics from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, regardless of the number of fatalities, there were 128 mass shootings in 2023 as of Monday morning.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.