Nashville officers praised for 'phenomenal response' to school shooting
Nashville Fraternal Order of Police President James Smallwood joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss officers' decision to charge into the school while facing gunfire and provides details on what is known about the shooting suspect.
The Metro Nashville Police Department released security camera footage Monday evening that shows a school shooting at The Covenant School, where the suspected shooter, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, killed six people earlier in the day.
The video starts with an exterior camera showing Hale driving her silver Honda Fit through the shared parking lot of the school and Covenant Presbyterian Church at approximately 9:53 a.m. local time.
Hale then parks the vehicle just outside the scope of the cameras and approaches the building, which is located on Burton Hills Boulevard in Nashville.
The video then jumps to an interior camera, pointed at one of the entrances of the school. Hale approaches and fires a weapon shattering the double glass entry doors.
At approximately 10:11 a.m., Hale then enters the facility, walking through the shattered opening of the glass door and stepping into full view of the camera.
Suspect Audrey Hale, a transgender woman, shot through the front glass doors of Covenant Presbyterian Church before carrying out an assault that left 6 people dead on March 27, 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Metro Nashville police provided a photo of the side entrance that was shot open, providing the suspect access to the school. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Bullet holes can be seen in the side entrance where the 28-year-old suspected shooter gained entry. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
The shooter appears to be wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt with a black vest over it. It is not immediately clear if the vest is tactical gear.
Hale also has glasses, a red baseball cap, gray urban camouflage pants, and shoes that are black and white. She is also seen bracing an AR-style weapon in her right arm with another weapon hanging down on her left side.
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The newly released police footage shows Hale casually walking down various hallways and opening several doors. She also points the weapon at times, while keeping it lowered at others.
The first room she enters has a sign that reads, "Church Office." Hale, a former student at the private Presbyterian school, would have been familiar with at least some of its layout.
Metro Nashville Police Department release a video of 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale carrying out a shooting at Covenant school on March 27, 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Hale walks through the same hallway intersection several times before emerging into an entrance lobby. She walks by a sign that reads, "Children's Ministry" and a vacated check-in desk with two Mac computers.
An alarm can be seen going off in the background as the footage ends.
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Hale's rampage left three students, all 9 years old, and three faculty members dead. The rampage lasted approximately 14 minutes.
Audrey Hale was identified by police as the gunman who opened fire at the Covenant School on Monday morning, killing six people.
Police identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, Hallie Scruggs, 9, William Kinney, 9, Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.
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Responding police officers shot and killed Hale at the scene.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Hale fired at the officers as they drove up to the school. The gunfire came from the second floor and struck a patrol vehicle's windshield.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the Nashville shooting suspect fired at police as they approached the school. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Two Metropolitan Nashville police officers were fired at as they responded to an active shooter in Nashville, Chief John Drake said. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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