All Hale Broke Loose!
By: Tommy “Tj” Sotomayor

CLICK HERE TO CHAT WITH US AND WATCH THE SHOW!

CLICK HERE TO TALK WITH TOMMY SOTOMAYOR

Three kids and four adults, including gunwoman, dead in US private school shooting

A transgender female shooter has opened fire at a US Christian school, killing at least six people including young children and staff members.

A heavily-armed 28-year-old woman who shot and killed six people at a Christian school in Tennessee identified as transgender and had a detailed manifesto, police have revealed.

Officials said Audrey Hale entered Covenant School in Nashville around 10.13am on Monday by shooting through a door on the side of the building.

While inside, Hale killed students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, as well as custodian Mike Hill, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, both 61, and school head Katherine Koonce, 60.

Officers responding to an active shooter call heard gunshots on the second floor and rushed to a lobby-type area where they came across Hale who had two assault rifles and a handgun.

Hale, who once attended the school, was shot dead by police on site at 10.27am after a 14-minute rampage.

Shortly after the shooting, officers found a manifesto and map that pointed to the shooting being a targeted attack, according to Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake.

“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this date,” Mr Drake told reporters at a press conference.

“We have a map drawn out of how this was all gonna take place.”

School shooter Audrey Hale. Picture: Supplied

Nine-year-old Hallie Scruggs (with father Chad, the pastor at the presbyterian church linked to the school) was identified as one of the victims of the shooting. Picture: Facebook

School head Katherine Koonce, 60, was also shot dead. Picture: The Covenant School

Custodian Mike Hill, 61, was shot dead by Hale. Picture: Facebook

Mr Drake said Hale identified as transgender, though used he/him pronouns on some online profiles and also went by the name Aiden.

He added that Hale, who had no police record or record of mental health problems, was “prepared to do more harm than was actually done.”

However, when asked if her transgender identity may have been part of the motive, Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake said: “There is some theory to that, we’re investgating all leads.”

Mr Drake confirmed police had spoken to Hale’s father. He said cops will release a video of the incident shortly.

There was a “car nearby that gave us clues” into who she was, he added.

At least six people, including three children and three staff members, have been killed in the shooting. Picture: NewsChannel 5 Nashville.

A terrified young student holds her hand against the window of a school bus in the aftermath of the shooting. Picture: Nicole Hester/USA TODAY NETWORK/Sipa USA /AAP Image

Mr Drake said police received a call at 10.13am about an active shooter, later identified as Hale, at The Covenant School.

Officers rushed to the scene to clear the halls, and encountered “a female who was firing”.

It is believed Hale entered the premises through a side entrance of the school, armed with “two AR-style rifles and a handgun”. At least two of the guns were obtained legally in the local area.

Two responding officers opened fire on the shooter and she was fatally shot, Mr Drake said.

A hospital spokesperson confirmed that the three child victims were pronounced dead on arrival at the facility.

“(Three) paediatric patients were transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, all having suffered gunshot wounds,” John Howser, chief communications officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said in a statement.

“All three were pronounced dead after arrival.”

Officials said the victims’ families had been informed.

The shooting suspect is believed to be a former student of the school. Picture: NewsChannel 5 Nashville

The Covenant School, which teaches students in preschool through to sixth grade, has about 200 students enrolled, according to its website. Picture: Seth Herald/Getty Images/AFP

Biden’s reaction to shooting lashed

President Joe Biden joked Monday that he only showed up to a White House event because he heard there would be ice cream — before addressing the horrific mass school shooting that left six dead hours earlier.

“My name is Joe Biden. I’m Dr. Jill Biden’s husband,” the 80-year-old president began his remarks at an East Room gathering of women-owned businesses.

“And I eat Jeni’s ice cream — chocolate chip. I came down because I heard there was chocolate chip ice cream,” he said.

“By the way, I have a whole refrigerator full upstairs,” Biden added at his only scheduled public appearance of the day. “You think I’m kidding? I’m not.”

The president then turned serious to address the shooting at the Covenant School, in which three students and three staff members were killed, calling it “sick” and “a family’s worst nightmare” before demanding once again that Congress pass a ban on assault weapons.

“It’s about time we began to make some more progress,” he said.

Remarkably, Biden again returned to the subject of ice cream with another shout-out to a rep from Jeni’s, an Ohio-based chain with shops across the country, including a location near the White House.

Stunned anchors on Fox News were forced to cut the vision on live TV as Biden continued to discuss ice-cream.

“We’ll jump back in here, considering the moment, the school shooting that just happened left three adults dead – we were told he would be addressing this off the top,” a female presenter said.

“It’s rather surprising, I thought a sombre President Biden would have come to the podium here and addressed the school shooting.”

First lady Jill Biden also reacted to the Nashville school shooting while at an event in Washington, DC.

“We just learned about another shooting in Tennessee. A school shooting. And I am truly without words. Our children deserve better. And we stand, all of us, we stand with Nashville in prayer,” she said.

🚨#BREAKING: 3 dead, multiple injured, after a gunman opened fire at the Covenant School in #Nashville, Tennessee pic.twitter.com/Rs6H2nkp5z

— Breaking News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) March 27, 2023

Nashville Councilman Freddie O’Connell said in a statement: “Nashville has, sadly, today joined the communities that have experienced a school shooting. For now, my focus is turning to supporting the impacted families and revisiting our efforts to prevent these horrifying scenarios.”

In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting.

My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you.

As facts continue to emerge, I thank our first responders and medical professionals.

— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) March 27, 2023

pic.twitter.com/dnPZOfcQvk

— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) March 27, 2023

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said he was closely monitoring the situation, adding that the state Highway Patrol and Department of Safety officers are assisting first responders.

“As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community,” Mr Lee said.

The Covenant School, which teaches students in preschool through to sixth grade, has about 200 students enrolled, according to its website.

The incident is the 128th mass shooting in the US this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Picture: Seth Herald/Getty Images/AFP

Witness describes chaos following mass shooting

A woman working at an office building across the street from a mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school described seeing police cars speeding to the scene Monday morning.

Jozen Reodica told CNN she feared the worst after seeing cruisers pouring into the parking lot of the Covenant School, where a female shooter slaughtered three children and three adults before being shot down by cops.

“It all happened so fast,” she told the outlet, noting police quickly cordoned off streets in the area near the elementary school as word of the atrocity began to spread.

Reodica, who works at Shearwater Health directly across from the school, filmed frightened students being led out of their building by police.

She said they walked in a single-file line while holding hands.

White House calls for gun control change

The White House has blamed Republicans’ opposition to gun reform for the latest school shooting in Tennessee.

White House saying that the shooting could’ve been avoided if the GOP joined efforts to ban assault weapons.

“While we don’t know yet all of the details in this latest tragic shooting, we know that too often our schools and communities are being devastated by gun violence,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in her daily briefing. “Schools should be safe spaces for kids to grow and learn and for our educators to teach.

“How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress will step up and act to pass the assault weapons ban, to close loopholes in our background check system or to require the safe storage of guns,” she added. “We need to do something.”

Jean-Pierre added: “President Biden has taken more action than any president in history on gun safety — from nearly two dozen actions including the executive order he just signed … to the bipartisan safer communities act legislation he signed into law after the [shooting] tragedies in Uvalde and Buffalo.

Witness describes chaos following mass shooting at Nashville Christian school

“He also believes it’s not enough. We must do more. And he wants Congress to act because enough is enough.”