Police identify female former student, 28, as the shooter
Nashville Police announced on Monday they responded to a shooting at a private elementary school and preschool as officials confirmed three children and three adults died.
Officials identified the child victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, saying they are all aged 9. The adult victims were identified Cynthia Peak, age 61; Katherine Koonce, age 60; and Mike Hill, age 61; according to a post on Twitter.
Police Chief John Drake told reporters that the shooter was identified as Audrey Hale and that “she identified as transgender, yes,” when asked about whether she had. “At one point she was a student at that school,” he added hours after the shooting. “But unsure what year … but that’s what I’ve been told so far.”
Social media profiles of the alleged shooter show that Hale used “he/him” pronouns. A LinkedIn profile said that Hale had a freelance illustration and graphic design business and had previously attended Nossi College of Art in Tennessee.
“We now know that there are three students who were fatally wounded as well as three adults inside the school. We are working to identify those victims. Including the shooter, a total of seven persons were killed as a result of this morning’s incident at the school,” police spokesman Don Aaron said. “Three students who were shot are deceased. Three staff members who were shot are deceased,” he continued to say.
Initially, officials did “not know who she is,” Aaron told reporters at a press conference. Later, the Nashville Metro Police Department wrote on social media that the suspect was identified as a 28-year-old Nashville woman, but no name was provided.
“At one point she was a student at that school,” Nashville police Chief John Drake told reporters later on Monday. “There was a vehicle nearby that gave us a clue to who she was.”
The suspect had two rifles and a handgun, Aaron said. He did not provide more details about the weapons.
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