NASHVILLE, USA – A heavily armed 28-year-old fatally shot three children and three adult staffers on Monday, March 27, at a private Christian school the suspect once attended in Tennessee’s capital city before police killed the assailant, authorities said.
Drake identified the suspect as a woman by the name of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, a resident of the Nashville area, and referred to the assailant by female pronouns. Two officers from a five-member team shot the assailant in a lobby area, and she was pronounced dead by 10:27 am.Drake said the 28-year-old suspect had previously been a student at the school.Three students were pronounced dead after arriving at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with gunshot wounds, hospital spokesperson John Howser said in a statement. Three adult staff members were killed by the shooter, police said.
US Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, said on Twitter that her office stands “ready to assist” those affected by the shooting. At the state level, Tennessee in 2021 did away with its permit requirement for carrying a concealed handgun and now allows anyone aged 21 and older to carry a firearm, either openly or concealed, without a permit, as long as they are legally allowed to purchase the weapon.