The killer who murdered three children and three adults in a horror shooting at a school in Nashville has been identified as a 28-year-old woman.
The female gunman was armed with two assault rifles and a pistol before she was gunned down by officers. Cops engaged her on the second floor of the Covenant School, where she was firing on staff and students in a lobby.
As reported by the Mirror, police said at a press conference at 2pm local time (8pm GMT) the 28-year-old white woman was living in Nashville. It's understood that she had previously been a student at the school.
According to Craig Boerner, the victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital. Mr Boerner is a spokesperson for Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, which is affiliated with the children's hospital.
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."
Earlier police said the shooter appeared to be in her teens.
MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron said in a media briefing: "The shooting happened at 10.13am. The shooting didn't happen in a classroom.
"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.
"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 to the second floor. By 10.27am, the shooter was dead."
Other students walked to safety on Monday, holding hands as they left their school surrounded by police cars, to a nearby church to be reunited with their parents. The school is a Presbyterian school for about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade,
Police officers with rifles, heavy vests and helmets could be seen walking through the school parking lot and around the grassy perimeter of the building Monday morning.
Helicopter footage from WTVF also showed the officers looking around a wooded area between the campus and a nearby road.
Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. As her building was placed under lockdown, she took out her phone and recorded the chaos.
"I thought I would just see this on TV," she said. "And right now, it's real."
On WTVF TV, reporter Hannah McDonald said that her mother-in-law works at the front desk at The Covenant School. The woman had stepped outside for a break Monday morning and was coming back when she heard gunshots, McDonald said during a live broadcast. The reporter said she has not been able to speak with her mother-in-law but said her husband had.
Democratic state Rep. Bob Freeman, whose district includes The Covenant School, called Monday's shooting an "unimaginable tragedy."
"I live around the corner from Covenant and pass by it often. I have friends who attend both church and school there," Freeman said in a statement. "I have also visited the church in the past. It tears my heart apart to see this."
The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in 2001, according to the school's website. The school is located in the affluent Green Hill neighbourhood just south of downtown Nashville, situated close to the cities top universities and home to the famed Bluebird Café - a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.
The grade school has 33 teachers, the website said. The school's website features the motto "Shepherding Hearts, Empowering Minds, Celebrating Childhood."
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