What we know about the Nashville school shooting

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 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Seth Herald/Getty Images

Six people, including three children, were killed in a shooting at a Nashville school on Monday, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The latest: The shooter had two assault-style rifles and a pistol, authorities said during a briefing Monday.

  • The alleged shooter was a 28-year-old Nashville woman, who was shot and killed by police, the department said.
What happened?
  • At 10:13 am local time Monday, officers responded to a call of shots fired at The Covenant School.
  • "[A] team of five immediately within the school went to where gunshots were being heard and engaged the suspect," Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said during a news briefing.
  • Two of the officers opened fire on the shooter, police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news briefing.
  • By 10:27 am, the shooter was deceased, making the police response time about 14 minutes.
  • The shooter entered the school through a side entrance and made her way from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots, Aaron said.
What do we know about the victims?
  • The victims include three adult staff members and three children.
  • Police have not yet publically identified them or provided their ages.
  • The Covenant School where the shooting took place is a private Christian school that serves children in grades preschool through sixth grade.
What do we know about the shooter?
  • The alleged shooter was a 28-year-old Nashville woman and a former student at The Covenant School, police said.
  • She was shot and killed by police.
  • Two officers entered the school building and went towards the sounds of gunfire. They "engaged the shooter" before fatally shooting her.
  • Chief Drake said police know her address and are conducting an investigation.
What they're saying
  • President Biden called the shooting "heartbreaking" and "a family's worst nightmare" during a briefing Monday, adding, "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping at the very soul of the nation."
  • "We have to do more to protect our schools so they aren't turned into prisons," the president added. "So I call on Congress, again, to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time that we began to make some more progress."
  • "Devastated and heartbroken about the tragic news at Covenant School," Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said in a tweet. "I'm grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their heroic actions."

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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