There was a shooting this morning at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville called The Covenant School. Six people were killed not including the shooter who was shot and killed by police at the scene. Initial reports suggested the shooter was a teenage girl but police have now revealed the shooter was a 28-year-old 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.

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 27, 2023

Here’s a description of the police response.

“The police department response was swift,” police spokesperson Don Aaron told reporters.

“They heard shots coming from the second level. They immediately went to the gunfire. When the officers got to the second level, they saw a shooter, a female, who was firing. The officers engaged her. She was fatally shot by responding police officers.”

Five police officers came upon the shooter and two opened fire on her, Aaron said. The shooter had entered the school through a “side entrance” on the first floor, he added.

“By 10:27 the shooter was deceased,” Aaron said.

Here’s the police statement released a short time ago.

BREAKING: Alleged gunman in Nashville school shooting was female who entered through a side entrance of the school, armed with at least "two assault-type rifles and a handgun," officials say.

"We are efforting now to identify her." https://t.co/J8fihPNR3n pic.twitter.com/ZmbIMTg6YS

— ABC News (@ABC) March 27, 2023

A gun control activist went to the mic as soon as the police spokesman was finished with it.

wow. a woman makes a passionate case for gun control during a press conference about the Nashville school shooting pic.twitter.com/tQDdSrBZZ6

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 27, 2023

The White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, was quick to blame this on Republicans.

“How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress will step up and act?”

– White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, responding to today’s shooting in Nashville pic.twitter.com/D85ZncUQPy

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) March 27, 2023

Joe Biden was expected to also make a statement about the shooting at another event that was happening at the White House today. That led to this somewhat awkward transition.

BREAKING: Fox News cuts to Joe Biden expecting him to speak on the Nashville shooting, instead finds him ranting about eating Jeni’s chocolate chip ice cream.pic.twitter.com/6rJsFL2dAN

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 27, 2023

Biden did eventually speak about the shooting.

BREAKING: Pres. Biden remarks on school shooting in Nashville, calling it "a family's worst nightmare."

"So I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time we make some more progress." https://t.co/GQdnQLfvIV pic.twitter.com/WxApFQ0PVe

— ABC News (@ABC) March 27, 2023

Nashville Police Chief John Drake gave another update on the shooting a short time ago and he confirmed that the identity of the shooter is known. Police are searcher her house and are still looking for signs of a possible motive. He also mentions that the shooter is believed to have been a former student at the school though he didn’t say when or for how long.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake says, per initial probe, the 28-year-old who killed 3 adults and 3 kids at The Covenant School was a former student.

Police are investigating how the suspect entered the building, and Drake says the death toll “could have been far, far worse.” pic.twitter.com/JPVnYfCF4W

— The Recount (@therecount) March 27, 2023

There will be more updates as the day goes on and I’ll add them below.

Update: The police have identified all six of the victims.

The 6 victims fatally shot by the active shooter at Covenant School are identified as: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, Cynthia Peak, age 61, Katherine Koonce, age 60, and Mike Hill, age 61.

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 27, 2023

Update: NBC News has identified the shooter as Audrey Hale.

The shooter was identified as Audrey Hale, a Nashville resident, three law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News.

There were no answers on Monday afternoon at multiple phone numbers listed for Hale’s mother and brother.

People have also noticed that Audrey’s Instagram account, which has already been deleted, was creative.aiden and her LinkedIn page said she preferred the pronouns he/him.

*Unconfirmed* reports identify the Nashville shooter as “Audrey Hale”, a biological female that identifies as “He/Him” on their LinkedIn

Authorities believe the transgender shooter previously attended the Christian school

Instagram account “creative.aiden” has been deleted pic.twitter.com/ybdQVQsZ6H

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) March 27, 2023

Here’s the most recent press conference where Chief Drake confirmed the shooter’s name and confirmed that she did identify as transgender. He also made clear that the shooter had left behind a manifesto and a map showing this was planned in advance.

That clip above is hard to search because it was a livestream which hadn’t ended yet. The clip below is more concise. Near the end of this clip a reporter asks if the shooter’s trans identity had anything to do with the motive. Chief Drake replied, “We can give you that at a later time. There is some theory to that. We’re investigating all the leads and once we know exactly we’ll let you know.”

Video: https://t.co/Er4KpMB4Mg

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 27, 2023

Chief Drake says she identified as a woman which suggests she was born male, but I don’t follow how that lines up with the he/him pronouns on the LinkedIn account. Someone will straighten this out eventually.

Update: There’s no proof this shooting in Nashville is connected to this event scheduled for this coming Saturday but the timing sure looks bad.

The shooting of a Christian school by a transgender comes the same week that activists scheduled a "Trans Day of Vengeance," with the group also raising money for firearms training.https://t.co/3rSz7ZMPKB

— Luke Rosiak (@lukerosiak) March 27, 2023

Update: It was just a couple days ago I was saying that I don’t believe in “stochastic terrorism.” One of the reasons I don’t is because you never see anyone talking about it when a left wing person does something violent. Glenn Greenwald is making that point.

Who radicalized the Nashville shooter?

What media outlets, pundits and politicians share and spread the murderer's ideology?

This is the twisted game that's played every time there's a massacre that presents the opportunity to blame one's enemies. It can't be done selectively.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 27, 2023

It’s too late to not talk about this so people are quickly shifting gears from stochastic terrorism to right-wing policies and influence in Tennessee.

The quoted tweet got deleted which is why I’ve added a screengrab. Anyway, I think this sums it up pretty accurately.

So lucky to have it break this way for them. Just plain good luck. https://t.co/74cA0TSoyW

— John 'pro-norms' Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) March 27, 2023

Update: There were some reports earlier that a door was left open, giving Hale access to the premises. That was apparently wrong. Police say she shot out the glass and then entered. Notice all the evidence markers on the ground. I’m guessing those were shell casings.

Hale entered the Covenant building after shooting out the glass of these doors. pic.twitter.com/EC5e7bA5dN

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023

Update: Just to clear this up.

Don Aaron, a police spokesman, later clarified the chief’s remarks. “Audrey Hale is a biological woman who, on a social media profile, used male pronouns,” Aaron said in an email.

So does that mean everyone who has called her Audrey Hale has been deadnaming her all day? And is that the name Aiden written on the stock of one of the guns used in the attack? It’s hard to tell for certain.

MNPD detectives say Audrey Hale, 28, fired a number of rounds inside the Covenant Church/School building with these 3 guns and significant ammunition.
Police say she fired on arriving police vehicles from a 2nd story window. @nc5 pic.twitter.com/IlkLRzhj5A

— Hunter Hoagland (@HunterHoagland) March 28, 2023