Tragedy Strikes in Nashville: 6 Dead, Including Children, in Covenant School Shooting

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A Nashville woman opened fire at Covenant School, a small private Christian elementary school, on Monday morning, killing three students and three staff members, according to a hospital official. The shooter was identified as a 28-year-old woman who was engaged and killed by officers at the scene. Five victims were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with gunshot wounds, but all five were pronounced dead upon arrival. The shooter was armed with at least two assault-type rifles and a handgun, and officials are in the process of identifying the victims. Law enforcement officials, including the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, responded to the scene, and there is no current threat to public safety. The shooter entered the school through a side entrance and fired multiple shots on the second floor before being engaged by responding officers.

On Monday morning, two officers responded to the active shooter situation at the Covenant School and engaged the shooter, killing her within 14 minutes of the initial call, according to Nashville police spokesperson Don Aaron. Five victims were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but all of them were pronounced dead upon arrival. The remaining students were safely escorted out of the building with faculty and staff and taken to a reunification site by bus. The Covenant School is a private Christian elementary school that serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade six. As of the time of the shooting, the school had approximately 209 students and 42 staff members. Tennessee officials expressed their condolences and support for those affected by the tragedy. The incident marks the 89th school shooting in 2023, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, following a shooting at a Denver high school that left two faculty members wounded.