27 March 2023 , 22:34
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The mother of the woman identified as the Nashville school shooter vehemently campaigned to prevent mass shootings in the classroom.
Audrey Hale’s mum urged her friends to join her in signing petitions to ‘Keep Guns Out of Schools” and “Make large-capacity gun magazines illegal’ on her Facebook page.
Devout Christian Norma Fort Hale, a church worker, told her followers backing the campaigns was “so important”
She made the pleas to her friends in February and March, spurred on by the tragic 2012 Sandy Hook massacre in which 26 pupils and staff were shot dead by Adam Lanza.
Six people are believed to have died in the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
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School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families (Getty Images)Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson said: "An active shooter event has taken place at Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church, on Burton Hills Dr.
"The shooter was engaged by MNPD and is dead. Student reunification with parents is at Woodmont Baptist Church, 2100 Woodmont Blvd."
The victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, according to Craig Boerner, a spokesperson for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which is affiliated with the children's hospital.
Dr. Katherine Koonce, Head of School, has been named as one of the victims (Katherine Koonce / Linkedin)The Metro Nashville Police Department said tonight: "UPDATE: 3 students and 3 adult staff members from Covenant School were fatally shot by the active shooter, who has now been identified as a 28-year-old Nashville woman.
"Two MNPD officers who entered the building and went to the sounds of gunfire engaged the shooter on the second floor and fatally shot her."
Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson Jessica Pasley has told local reporters that "three pediatric patients were transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, all having suffered gunshot wounds.
Police swarmed the area around The Covenant School (John Amis/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"All three were pronounced dead after arrival.”
Mayoral candidate Freddie O'Connell said: "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."
MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron described the scene in a media briefing: "The shooting happened at 10.13am. The shooting didn't happen in a classroom.
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"Officers went to the gunfire. When they got to the second floor and saw the shooter, a female. There was a five-member unit that was on the second floor at the time.
Children being led away from the shooting (AP)"We know at this point that this shooter is a female and appears to be in her teens. Her identification isn't confirmed.
"She had two assault rifles and a handgun. She entered the school through a side entrance and went from the first school to the second floor. By 10:27 am, the shooter was dead."