A shooting at a private religious school in Nashville has left three children and three adults dead, officials said. The 28-year-old white man from the Nashville area was shot by two officers, police said.
Police initially identified the shooter as a woman, but a spokesperson later told WPLN’s Alexis Marshall that the shooter was assigned female at birth and used she/he pronouns. According to further information, the shooting took place at The Covent School.
Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Monday that the three children who died were students and the three adults who died were staff members. The victims were identified as of Monday afternoon as Evelyn Diekhaus, age 9, Haley Scruggs, age 9, William Kinney, age 9, Cynthia Peek, age 61, Catherine Koons, age 60, Mike Hill, age 61.
According to Arrow, who received the first call at 10:13 a.m., the shooter entered the school through a side entrance and then approached the other and opened fire. According to authorities, the shooter had two assault-style rifles and one pistol, and the shooting took place in a lobby-type area in an upper part of the school.
The shooter was dead by 10:27 a.m., and two of the guns were obtained legally, police said. At least five victims are said to have been transported to emergency departments at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A hospital spokesperson confirmed to NPR that three children and two adults sent to the hospital have died.