Middle TN 2023: The Covenant School shooting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Nashville community was shattered on March 27 after an armed intruder shot through a glass door and entered The Covenant School in Green Hills, leading to six deaths.

Seen on surveillance video, 28-year-old Audrey Hale combed the hallways. Moments later, the first 911 calls came in.

“My children are in the building, ma’am,” the caller said frantically.

“I understand, sir. We’ve got the officers on their way out there, okay,” the dispatcher responded.

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After the Metro Nashville Police Department arrived, officers skillfully searched the school. Within minutes, they took down the shooter.

Officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo led the charge. Their body camera video was released shortly after the shooting, showcasing their courageous work.

Outside the school, students were ushered to safety. Strangers even pulled over to stop traffic.

“As soon as I jumped out of the car and stuck my arms out, people to the left and in front of me were jumping out,” said a man who stopped traffic. “We just heard gunshots right before that.”

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Parents rushed to campus and a reunification center that was established to find their children, but three didn’t make it.

Nine-year-old students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney were all killed in the shooting. Substitute teacher Cynthia Peak; custodian Mike Hill; and Dr. Katherine Koonce, head of The Covenant School, also died in the rampage.

“My thoughts and prayers go out the families. When we send our kids to school or to any place of safety, we expect them to live, learn, have fun, and come back from that day’s experience,” said Metro Police Chief John Drake on the day of the shooting. “We don’t anticipate things like this.”

Following the devastating incident, a memorial formed outside the school. Even First Lady Jill Biden came to pay her respects and attend a citywide vigil.

“Nashville has had its worst day. Our heart is broken; our city united as we mourn together,” said former Nashville Mayor John Cooper at the vigil. “When words just can’t carry the weight of what is in our hearts, we must reach out to each other.”

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Mourning then turned to calls for action.

“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,” said President Joe Biden.

“My children were in school less than a mile down the road. Ladies and gentlemen, this can happen anywhere. It happened here today, and unless we take action, it’s going to happen again,” said state Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) on the House floor.

“I didn’t have one person ask me for thoughts and prayers today. They asked me for courage to come down here and do something,” state Rep. Bo Mitchell (D- Nashville) added.

Three days after the shooting, protesters descended upon the State Capitol, calling for gun reform. Gov. Bill Lee called a special session on public safety in August. Covenant parents made their presence known at the session, but they were outraged when no new gun laws were passed.

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“Our state has done nothing to make you safer or to prevent this from happening again and again and again and again,” said Covenant mother Mary Joyce.

Questions remain about the motives of the shooter on that tragic day. Writings made by Hale were found by police, and the possibility of their release has brought about a legal fight.

While some argue the so-called manifesto is public record, several Covenant family members have filed petitions asking for the writings to be kept private. Their efforts were upended when conservative radio host Steven Crowder posted some of the writings on social media after they were leaked to him by an unknown source.

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“You have now allowed this woman who terrorized our family with bullets to be able to now terrorize us with words from the grave,” Covenant father Brent Leatherwood said.

Metro police conducted an investigation into who shared the writings in the first place, but Drake said the department “has exhausted all available investigative avenues to identify the person who leaked photographs containing three pages of writings from the Covenant School shooter.”

Despite the leak, there was a victory for the families in November. The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled they will be allowed to share their opinions when the case goes back before a Nashville judge for a final ruling on the writings’ release. Their fight at the state legislature isn’t over either.

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“We’ve literally lived through hell, and we’re here, and we’re still united in it, and we’re going to keep showing up every January for regular session after, and we’re gonna do that until we get change,” Covenant mother Sarah Shoop Neumann said.

“Look at these faces. You’re gonna see these faces again and again and again,” added Covenant mother Melissa Alexander.

Joyce, Shoop Neumann, and Alexander helped form the non-profit organization, Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows, which pushes for enhanced school security and mental health support, as well as its related action fund that advocates for legislative changes at the state and federal level.

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