Police say a shooter who attacked a Nashville school - killing six people - had bought seven guns legally and hid weapons in their house
Earlier they released bodycam footage from the shooting at Covenant School that left six dead, including three children
It shows officers confronting and shooting the attacker at the private Christian school for students aged three to 11
The student victims have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all aged 9
The adult victims are Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61
The shooter was identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who was killed by police at the scene
President Joe Biden has renewed calls for Congress to take action on gun violence
Sarah Fowler
Live reporter
Image source, REUTERS/Austin AnthonyWe're pausing our live coverage of the Nashville school shooting that left six people dead, including three children aged nine and under.
It's the middle of the night in the US right now and we'll be back with the latest updates when people start waking up there. For now, you can read more details in our news story and more on the victims here.
Vigils were held overnight in Nashville for the victims of the shooting at the Covenant School - three adults and three children.
People also gathered during the night at a makeshift memorial outside the school building.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, AFP
Image source, AFPNorma Hale, who is the mother of the shooter identified by police as Audrey Hale, has told ABC News "it is very, very difficult right now" for her family.
"I think I lost my daughter today," she has said.
The 28-year-old was shot and killed by officers at the scene, 14 minutes after an alert was raised about the attack.
Police say Hale had no criminal record and was a former student at the school. They believe "resentment" may have been a motive, and say they are examining a manifesto left behind by Hale.
Stills from CCTV footage inside the school show Hale carrying a large gun while wearing camouflage trousers and a red cap.
Hours after the shooting took place, a memorial service for the victims was held at the Woodmont Christian Church - close to the school.
The sister of one of the children killed in Monday's shooting is a member of the church's disciple class.
Teary and with a shaky voice, senior minister Clay Stauffer said Evelyn Dieckhaus was a third grader and her sister, two years older, had plans to be baptised in a few weeks, according to local outlet the Tennessean.
Evelyn’s sister cried as she said, “I don’t want to be an only child.”
Meanwhile at least dozens attended a vigil at the Belmont United Methodist Church.
“We just wanted to respond to our community because we also have children who learn in our facility as well,” Rev. Ingrid McIntyre told local channel WKRN News 2 ahead of the event.
“Prayer is just the first step, and certainly actions will come after,” she added.
Meanwhile, Christian singer Lauren Daigle held a prayer vigil instead of a planned concert.
Image source, ReutersAt least dozens attended the vigil held at the Belmont United Methodist Church
Police have released some stills from the scene of the shooting, including the damage caused by bullets fired during the deadly attack on the primary school in Nashville.
Image source, ReutersThis is the Honda Fit car that police say was driven by the shooter
Image source, EPASome of the photos appear to show bullet hits on their cars
Image source, EPAThe shooter fired through a window at police cars arriving on the scene, Met Nashville Police say
Image source, EPAWindows of the Covenant School in Nashville were also damaged
There has been some confusion about the shooter's gender identity, as disclosed by police.
The police first identified the shooter as a 28-year-old woman - Audrey Elizabeth Hale.
At a news conference later on Monday, Nashville's police chief said Hale was transgender.
A police spokesperson has since told the Washington Post that Hale "is a biological woman who, on a social media profile, used male pronouns".
If you're just joining us, it's gone 02:00 local time in Nashville, and we're continuing to bring you the latest information about a shooting that was carried out at a primary school in the city yesterday.
Here are the key details:
Victims
Six people were killed in the shooting at the Covenant School - three students and three adults. The children have been named as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney; all were aged eight or nine. The adults have been named as school head Katherine Koonce, 60, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Mike Hill, 61.
Shooter
Police have identified the shooter as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who was shot and killed by officers during the attack. Hale, who had no criminal record, was a former student at the school and officers believe "resentment" may have been a motive.
Hale had a manifesto and had drawn a detailed map of the school, with entry points. Police are now studying those documents.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Covenant School is a private Christian institution for students aged three to 11
Weapons
Hale used two assault-style weapons and a handgun during the attack, according to police, with at least two of those guns being purchased legally. A search of Hale's home led to officers seizing more firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun.
Reaction
Concerned parents and residents have spoken to reporters, saying they're tired of mass shootings happening again and again in the US. One woman, who said she had survived a gun attack last summer, asked why their children are "still dying".
Since the shooting, US President Joe Biden has renewed calls for gun control legislation.
Vigils have also been held in Nashville to honour the six people who lost their lives.
Image source, EPAThe Covenant School in Nashville has released a statement following the deaths in the primary school shooting.
"Our community is heartbroken. We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church. We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing," the school has said.
The statement continues by saying "law enforcement is conducting its investigation, and while we understand there is a lot of interest and there will be a lot of discussion about and speculation surrounding what happened, we will continue to prioritise the well-being of our community."
The school is a private Christian school for students aged three to 11.
The three children who were killed in the shooting were all aged eight or nine.
Police believe the suspect was a former student of the school.
We reported in one of our earlier posts that, following the shooting, police in Nashville had searched an address on Brightwood Avenue - a short drive from the Covenant School.
There are some updates on that now.
In the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department's most recent statement, external, officers refer to the address as being Audrey Hale's, the person identified as the shooter.
They also say more weapons were recovered, in addition to the ones used in the attack, including a sawed-off shotgun and a second shotgun. Police have already distributed photographs of the two assault-style weapons and handgun they say Hale was carrying at the school.
Since the shooting yesterday, US President Joe Biden has renewed calls for gun control legislation - something he's done multiple times since taking office.
Image source, Metropolitan Nashville PDA photograph distributed by the Metropolitan Nashville PD shows a weapon that they say was used by Hale during the shooting
Shooting survivor: 'Aren't you tired of covering this?'
Image source, ReutersPolice have given an account of what happened, and when, during yesterday's deadly shooting at the school in Nashville:
As we've been reporting, six people - three children and three adults - were killed on Monday at a school in Nashville.
Here's what we know so far about the victims:
Katherine Koonce, 60, was the head of Covenant School, as well as a veteran teacher and author of a parenting guide.
She was described by one parent as a "saint", who "knew every single student" and worked tirelessly to help families who struggled with money.
Mike Hill, 61, was a custodian at the school. On Facebook, a woman identifying herself as his daughter said that he had "absolutely loved" working at Covenant.
Cynthia Peak, also 61, was a substitute teacher working at the school on the day of the attack, Nashville police say.
Hallie Scruggs was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, a senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, church officials told CBS News.
At a church service held only hours after the shooting, a senior minister said that Evelyn Dieckhaus had been in the third grade when she died, according to the Tennessean newspaper, external.
Her sister, a fifth grader, cried during the service, saying: "I don't want to be an only child."
Nothing has been publicly released about the third child victim, William Kinney, beyond his name and the fact all three of the students were eight or nine years old.
You can read more about the victims here.
Image source, Covenant SchoolKatherine Koonce was described by one parent as a "saint"
Police have identified the shooter who killed three children and three adults this morning at Covenant School. The suspect was killed by police.
Vigils for the six victims have been held in Nashville in the wake of the shooting.
Mourners gathered in church to pay their respects for the three young children and Covenant School staff killed on Monday.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPAIf you're just joining our coverage, here's a summary of what we know so far about Monday's shooting in Nashville:
Image source, Nashville PDPolice in Nashville have released a new video showing how the shooter was able to get inside the school.
The footage, which appears to be from CCTV cameras inside the building, shows Audrey Hale shooting at the front doors and then climbing through the shattered glass planes to gain entry.
The shooter is wearing a red cap, camouflage trousers and what looks to be a protective vest.
Hale is carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second, similar weapon also visible hanging from the left hip.
After getting inside, the video shows the shooter wandering deserted corridors of the school, at one point walking past a room labelled "Children's Ministry".
Parents of children gunned down less than a year ago in Uvalde, Texas, have expressed their horror in the aftermath of Monday's shooting in Nashville.
Kimberly Garcia, whose 10-year-old daughter Amerie Jo Garza was killed in Uvalde, wrote on Twitter: "Our kids aren’t safe. Schools aren’t safe.
“When is enough going to be enough?” she said, adding: “6 more innocent lives taken? But it’s not the guns right? Wake up people.”
Amerie was one of 19 students killed at Robb Elementary School in May last year, alongside two teachers.
Image source, ReutersThe families of many of the victims have been calling for stricter gun control since - with some setting up Lives Robbed, a group fighting to prevent gun violence.
Describing themselves as "tired" following the news, the group said for the families of the Nashville victims "this hell is just beginning".
"We are with you. This is why we fight for change.”
Angelica Casas
Video journalist, BBC News, Nashville
A makeshift memorial is growing outside the school
I've been speaking with people who have shown up at a makeshift memorial outside the school to pay their respects.
The entrance looks like that of any other church that has a school, except for the growing memorial.
There's a sign outside promoting registration for a summer programme and the Easter Sunday service schedule.
"When I heard it I couldn’t get any more work done. I was sad and angry," says Mark from south Nashville.
"Bringing flowers is my way of paying respects to the lives lost."
Mark and his mother Barbara came to leave flowers at the memorial
Here are some photos from the aftermath of the shooting:
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Image source, Getty ImagesPolice have shared images from the crime scene showing the attacker's firing position when officers arrived.
According to police, the suspect fired at police vehicles as they approached, hitting one in the windscreen.
The photos also show broken glass where the suspect shot at the door to gain entry to the locked building, the guns used in the attack and the killer's Honda Fit car parked nearby.
The shooting was ended around 14 minutes after the attack began after police stormed the building and shot the suspect.
At a news conference earlier on Monday, the Nashville police chief said that officers had video footage of the shoot-out which they plan to release.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.