3 Children, 3 Adults Killed in Nashville School After 28-Year-Old Shooter Opens Fire; Shooter Also Dead

Three children and three adults were killed during a shooting on Monday morning at a private elementary school in Nashville after a 28-year-old former student opened fire inside the building, a Nashville police spokesman said.

Don Aaron, the Nashville Police Department spokesman, said the shooter entered The Covenant School through the side entrance before opening fire. The shooter was engaged on the second floor of the building by two police officers who responded to a 10:13 a.m. call, and died at the scene, Aaron said.

According to a tweet from the Metro Nashville Police Department, the shooter has been identified as a 28-year-old from Nashville. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said during a Monday afternoon press conference that the shooter was a former student at The Covenant School. It's unclear when she attended the school.

Aaron added there are no other gunshot victims, but a police officer was injured by broken glass.

The victims have not been identified.

The shooter had two "assault-type rifles" and one pistol, said Aaron. The shooter was dead by 10:27 a.m.

According to its website, The Covenant School was founded in 2001 by the Covenant Presbyterian Church, and the average enrollment is 195-210.

During the Small Business Administration's Women's Business Summit, President Joe Biden addressed the shooting Monday afternoon.

"It's sick," Biden said. "We're still gathering the facts of what happened and why and we do know that as of now, there are a number of people who did not make it, including children. It's heartbreaking. A family's worst nightmare."

Biden thanked Nashville officers saying they "responded incredibly swiftly, within minutes, to end the danger."

"We have to do more to stop gun violence," Biden continued. "It's ripping our communities apart. Ripping the soul of this nation, and we have to do more to protect our schools so that they aren't turned into prisons. You know, the shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol — two AK-47s, so I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time that we begin to make some more progress."

Dr. Jill Biden, who was delivering remarks at a National League of Cities event when word of the shooting circulated, told the crowd, "We just learned about another shooting in Tennessee – a school shooting. And I am truly without words. And our children deserve better. And we stand, all of us, with Nashville in prayer."

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said he is closely monitoring the situation in a tweet and wrote, "As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community."

Musician Jason Isbell responded to Lee's tweet criticizing the Governor's response and writing: "Is this what we want? Monitoring the 'tragic situation' and asking for prayers? Something can be done Bill you just don't have the spine for it. This must be what you want, because you haven't done anything to prevent it."

According to statistics from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, regardless of the number of fatalities, there were 128 mass shootings in 2023 as of Monday morning.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.