Shooter attacks Christian grade school

On Monday, March 27, 2023, a shooting at Covenant School, a private Christian grade school in Nashville, Tennessee, left three students and three adults dead. The shooter, a 28-year-old female Nashville resident, was killed by police. The female was a former student at the school and was carrying two “assault-type rifles” and a handgun.

Police responded to the scene and found the shooter had entered the building through a side door before climbing stairs to the second floor, where she then opened fire. Three young students were transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead after arrival. Three more adults were also pronounced dead following the attack. All three were staff at the school.

Law enforcement were working to contact the families of victims, none of whom have been publicly identified. Police have yet to establish any connection the shooter may have had with the school. The only reported injury following the attack was an officer who suffered a glass wound to his hand.

The Nashville branch of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has also deployed agents to assist the MNPD in responding to the attack. Nashville Mayor John Cooper released a statement regarding the attack on Monday, saying, “In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you.”

Tennessee lawmakers were quick to offer their condolences and support following Monday’s attack. The state’s senators, Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, both released statements mourning the tragedy and praising law enforcement. First Lady Jill Biden also responded to the attack later Monday, saying we “stand with Nashville in prayer.”

The FBI released data on active shootings for 2021, saying there were 61 such incidents that year with all but one committed by a male. The number of shootings was a 50% increase from 2020, the FBI said.