Nashville law enforcement has made public a disturbing video capturing the moment a gunman entered a school, subsequently killing six individuals, among them three children aged nine.
On Monday morning, the perpetrator, who was later fatally shot by the authorities, entered a private Christian elementary school carrying two assault-style weapons and a handgun. The following video depicts that specific moment:
Identified as the casualties are Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all of whom were students.
The adult fatalities were identified as Cynthia Peak, a 61-year-old substitute teacher; Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian; and Katherine Koonce, the head teacher of the school who was also 60 years old.
According to law enforcement, the accused arrived at the school in a Honda Fit at approximately 10:00 AM on Monday, March 27th. The perpetrator then proceeded to fire at two separate sets of glass doors, shattering them.
Afterwards, they were captured on video entering the school premises donning camouflage pants, a red baseball cap, and a black vest. They then navigated through hallways and systematically searched various rooms.
The video released by the Nashville law enforcement appears to be silent, however, a flashing fire alarm is noticeable in the background of the recording.
The Nashville authorities have confirmed that the perpetrator, who carried out the shooting, had attended the school as a child and held some negative feelings towards it.
Law enforcement officials have identified the shooter as Audrey E Hale, a 28-year-old individual.
Initial reports regarding the shooting caused some uncertainty regarding the shooter's gender.
Although officials initially referred to the perpetrator as 'she' and 'her', it appears that the individual may have identified as male in recent months, based on their social media posts. This suggests that they may have been transgender.
John Drake, the police chief, has since confirmed that they have acquired the manifesto of Hale, which contains detailed maps of the school. This document is expected to provide investigators with a clear motive.
"We have a manifesto. We have some writings that we're going over that pertain to this day, the actual incident. We have a map drawn out about how this was all going to take place," he told reporters.
Nashville locals are currently holding vigils and leaving tributes in memory of the victims at the school premises.
President Joe Biden has referred to the attack as 'sick' and 'heartbreaking' while urging the Senate to approve the ban on assault weapons.
This tragic event signifies the 89th school shooting in the United States in 2023.
