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On March 27, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian Church in America parochial elementary school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee when 28-year-old Aiden Hale (born Audrey Elizabeth Hale), a transgender man and former student of the school, killed three nine‑year‑old children and three adults before being shot and killed by two Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers. It is the deadliest mass shooting in Tennessee history. Background The Covenant School is a private Christian school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville. It educates students from pre-kindergarten to the sixth grade. It was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America; its enrollment is about 200 students. Shooting Hale drove to the school, arriving at 9:54 a.m. CDT. At 9:57, Hale sent an Instagram message to an old friend saying an earlier post was "basically a suicide note" and anticipating dying that day. The friend who received the message called a crisis hotline, then contacted the Davidson County Sheriff's Office at 10:13. At 10:11, Hale, armed with two rifles and a pistol, shot through a set of glass side doors and entered the building. At 10:13, police received a call about an active shooter. When police arrived at the scene, a teacher told an officer that the students were in lockdown and two were missing. Officers entered the building at around 10:23. While clearing the first floor of students and staff, they heard gunshots coming from the second floor. Officers stepped over a victim on the second floor as they made their way to Hale. At 10:25, a five-member team approached Hale, and two officers fired four times each. By 10:27, 14 minutes after the initial 911 call was made, Hale was deceased. In total, Hale fired more than 150 rounds. A reunification center was set up by the MNPD at the Woodmont Baptist Church; students were taken there by school bus in the afternoon. Victims Six people—three students and three staff—were killed at random. Five were pronounced dead at a hospital and one at the scene. The students who died were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, all aged 9. The staff who died were substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; custodian Mike Hill, 61; and head of school Katherine Koonce, 60. In addition, a police officer was injured after cutting his hand on shattered glass. Perpetrator Aiden Hale was a 28-year-old Nashville resident with no criminal record. According to a former headmaster of the Covenant School, Hale attended the school when "around 10 years of age". MNPD Police Chief John Drake said Hale was under care for an emotional disorder and had legally purchased seven firearms, including three recovered from the shooting scene, between October 2020 and June 2022. Police referred to Hale as a woman and used his birth name, Audrey Elizabeth Hale. On the day of the shooting, MNPD Chief John Drake said that authorities "feel that [Hale] identifies as trans, but we're still in the initial investigation into all of that". Media sources subsequently reported Hale was a trans man. His former art teacher and a former classmate recalled him coming out as transgender on Facebook in 2022. According to a friend, Hale "had a childlike obsession with staying a child". Hale was an illustrator and graphic designer who graduated from the Nossi College of Art & Design in 2022. A neighbor said Hale lived with his parents. Investigation The MNPD took the lead of the investigation of the shooting, assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Two shotguns, one of which was sawed-off, and other evidence were found in a search of the Hales' house. Evidence included a detailed map of the school with potential entry points and a manifesto. Hale was believed to have undertaken reconnaissance, and had originally considered targeting another location but had decided not to carry out the attack due to the level of security on the premises. On April 3, police said Hale planned the shooting for months and fired 152 rounds at the school, 126 of them 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 of them 9mm rounds. As of April 14, 2023, police have not publicly disclosed a motive for the shooting. Hale's surviving writings, including diaries and a planning document, initially called a "manifesto", were described by police as "rambling" and empty of any specific political or social issues. Three pages of Hale's diary, described by CNN as containing "hate-filled language" directed at the school and its children, were leaked by conservative commentator Steven Crowder on November 6, 2023. Reactions The Covenant School issued a statement asking for privacy during the law-enforcement investigation. Several vigils were held for the casualties. A memorial at the school gathered items such as flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals. A memorial concert was held at the Fisher Center at Belmont University, with artists including Carrie Underwood, Tyler Hubbard, Colony House, and Thomas Rhett performing. All proceeds benefitted the school's staff, students and families. The city of Nashville set up a fund to support those affected. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee also established one for The Covenant School, and GoFundMe created a list with verified similar fundraisers. Several notable Nashville musicians including Mickey Guyton, Margo Price, and Sheryl Crow offered their condolences and anger about continual school shootings. Actress Melissa Joan Hart, who was nearby when the shooting occurred and helped escort some of the fleeing children to safety, recounted the experience on Instagram a day later. Representative Andy Ogles, whose district includes Nashville, tweeted, "We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost. As a father of three, I am utterly heartbroken by this senseless act of violence." Ogles's response was subsequently criticized on social media after a photo of him and his family posing with AR-15s in front of a Christmas tree resurfaced. Arizona gubernatorial press secretary Josselyn Berry tweeted, hours after the shooting, a meme of an actress from Gloria pointing two pistols alongside the text: "Us when we see transphobes." The post was widely condemned, and she resigned two days later. Her former administration said the tweet did not reflect its values. As a part of a long running Internet meme, posts misidentifying the shooter using an altered photo of comedian Sam Hyde circulated on social media. A fake manifesto posted anonymously on 4chan was reposted on Twitter. Policy debate and protests In response to the shooting, U.S. President Joe Biden said, "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of the nation... we have to do more to .... Discover the Janet Beard popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Janet Beard books.