cynthia peak, a substitute teacher and catherine coutts the head of covid at school. police say the shooter identified as 28 year-old audrey hale was a former student at that school. police say she was carrying 2 assault-style rifles. the reports of the shooting came in about 10, 15 this morning local time. it happened at a private christian school with about 200 students from preschool to 6th grade. >> president biden addressed the deadly incident earlier today. >> we to do more to stop gun violence district in our communities apart, ripping soul of this nation. repents a very and we have to do more to protect your school. samara turned into prisons. >> the president called today's school shooting, quote, a family's worst nightmare. our reporter in nashville will bring us more details on the investigation coming up at 6.15 this evening. in the south bay l a nia was just 18 years old when he was shot and killed at a sunnyvale party that was back in 2021. it was held at an airbnb on navarro drive. but according to the city, that property was never registered as a short

cynthia peak was a beloved wife and mother. and dr. katherine koonce was a dedicated and passionate educator who always put children first. and words cannot describe how hard it is to lose children. three precious 9-year-old children. one of whom was the daughter of the lead pastor of the covenant presbyterian church. these children never had a chance to grow up. my heart is completely broken for these families. i cannot imagine it. nothing can be said to dull the pain of this tragedy. tennesseans and americans worldwide are praying and grieving with this covenant community. madam speaker, i also want to commend all the first responders that were on the scene and the medical professionals that treated victims at vanderbilt medical center. i especially want to commend the five metro police officers who arrived at the school first. these men ran toward the sound of the gunfire instead of away from it. their bravery absolutely saved lives. the two officers that shot and killed with a gun the shooter, officers reks engelbert and michael co

the adults have been identified as cynthia peak, michael hill, and katherine koonce. peak was a substitute teacher and hill was a custodian. police identified the student as audrey hale who is likely a former student at the elementary school. police say they have found a note hale left behind along with a map of how the shooting would go. hale got into a side door after shooting it open. police say the staff acted quickly, ushering students out of the building as fast as possible. >> i was moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building. jobina: hale was being shot by two police officers. a former teammate from a medical basketball team she was on says she received concerning messages from hale about 15 minutes prior to the attack. the message says hale was planning death by suicide and to expect to see it on the news. president biden has called the shooting sick and is urging congress to take action on gun control. kumasi: we know the weight of this violence can be difficult for all of us to process. we put together a list of re

cynthia peake. it's my understanding a substitute teacher age 61. catherine. age 60.e identified the active shooter is audrey elizabeth hale. age 28. we will take just a few questions of you have any. as we know chief you want to address that? >> from our investigations it tells us that she was a former student at the school. i do not know what grade she has attended or grades, but we do firmly believe she was a student there. she does identify as trans transgender. >> i cannot give that information i'll let you know the minute the call comes in we responded to the church. to the school. >> there was two officers that when? >> they were 5 officers that a meal he went in and addressed, we have video that we are going to release that you can see in the video you can hear gunfire going on is there in the school. the art addressing the threat and taken the threat down. >> we know that there we were 2 hairstyle weapons. another one was an air style pistol. the other was a handgun. we believe two of those may have been obtained legally and locally here. >> can you confirm t

the adults killed in the shooting were identified as katherine koonce, the head of the school, cynthia peak, a substitute teacher, and mike hill, a custodian who'd worked at the school for 13 years . police say the shooter was armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun and shot their way through a side door to enter the school before being killed by police. officials say the shooter was a former student at the school and had written a manifesto laying out plans for the attack that included maps of the building. a fox news report in nashville about the shooting was interrupted live by ashbey beasley, a gun control advocate and survivor of the july 4, 2022 mass shooting in highland park, illinois. >> aren't you tired of covering this? aren't you tired of having to color all of these mass shootings? i am from highland park, illinois. my son and i survived a mass shooting. i am in tennessee on a family vacation with my son visiting my sister-in-law. i have been lobbying in d.c. since we survived the mass shooting in july. i have met over 130 lawmakers. how is this still happening? how a

police confirmed the other victims were found in different areas. 61-year-old substitute teacher cynthia peak and three students, all nine years old. evelyn dieckhaus, whose family called her a "shining light," william kinney described as having "an unflappable spirit" and hallie scruggs, the daughter of the church's pastor, her family calling her "a gift." >> we do not have a motive at this time. we feel these students that were targeted were randomly targeted. >> the shooter was identified by police as 28-year-old former student audrey hale. >> we have determined purchased guns from five different stores. >> terkel assault-style rifles and a pistol, police say the shooter's family was unaware any guns were in the home and she had no criminal record. >> she was under doctor's care for an emotional disorder, law enforcement knew nothing about the treatment she was receiving but her parents felt that she should not own weapons. had it been reported that she was suicidal or she was going to kill someone and had been made known to us, we would have tried to get those weapons. >> gun laws in tenn

cynthia peak, whose picture we have just obtained on the bottom left corner, 61 years old, she was aubstitute teacher at that school at covenant presbyterian. one of the three adults who was killed, and you just -- you just don't know. carol is with us, carol, if i could bring you in on this, on this conversation as we get these new damages. you, too, have young children and this country is just grieving for these families, those communities who will suffer and live through the memory of this for some time to come. >> absolutely. my heart breaks for their families. my kids are 12, 10, 6 -- sorry, 7, and yeah, i feel that they are just -- i can't imagine what the families are going through. i wish the president was more, you know, had more to say about this instead of just blaming the opposite party. his party was in control of the presidency, the house and the senator years and did not pass whatever legislation he thinks would have stopped this. we need better security in schools, should not be office buildings that are harder to get into than your kids' school, we should protect our

al sow three adults, custodian mike hill, student teacher cynthia peak, and katherine coonce. >> i'm so sad for the families impacted by this and their children. >> reporter: police say this was a planned and targeted attack and that the suspect had detailed maps drawn out of the school surveillance and entry points. >> it's heartbreaking to see it happen right here in our hometown. >> reporter: a growing make shift memorial of teddy bears and flowers now sits outside of the school. nashville's police chief said the suspect was armed with three weapon, an assault-style rifle, an assault-style pistol, and a handgun. law enforcement believes two of the weapons were obtained legally. this community now leaning on each other and in prayer during this difficult time. anne-marie? >> i can only imagine, cristian. cristian benavides in nashville. thank you. >>> cleanup efforts are underway in the south after deadly tornados. it dropped golf ball-sized hail. the death toll in mississippi was revised down to 21 by local emergency officials. in west point, georgia, at least 100 homes were left

william kinney, and hallie scruggs, daughter of covenant presbyterian's lead pastor, also teacher cynthia peak, custodian mike hill, father of seven who worked at the school for 14 years, and head of the school catherine koontz. >> she was a champion for her students. >> reporter: police say there's no evidence the victims were specifically targeted. a memorial outside the covenant school continues to grow as the community and nation comes to grips with another senseless tragedy. >> those children should all be with us still. >> reporter: president biden told reporters planning is under falies of the victims.th there's a vigil scheduled for 5:30. both the mayor and the chief of police are expected to be in attendance. anne-marie? >> cristian benevides in nashville. thank you so much. >>> sources tell cbs news that a federal judge ruled former vice president mike pence must testify before a grand jury investigating former president donald trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. we're going to get more now on this from robert costa. >> reporter: a major ruling with potenti

cynthia peak, a substitute teacher and katherine cohen says the head of covenant school police say the shooter identified as 28 year-old audrey hale was a former student at the school. >> police say she was carrying 2 assault-style rifles will have the very latest on the shooting and reaction from us and state leaders. that's coming up at 9.30. >> meantime, a little girl is left without her mother and their beloved dog after a driver plowed through the crosswalk yesterday evening. this is in south san jose hitting all 3 of them and killing the child's mother. police say their detectives have been working nonstop to try to catch the driver. crawford's justin campbell live tonight from police headquarters with more on what exactly happened in the latest on this investigation. good evening, justin. >> and that's right. granted less than 24 hours. san jose police have identified the driver in now that suspect is sitting behind bars. >> these home surveillance video shows a honda sedan plowing to the intersection of blossom hill road and lake avenue sunday evening, a neighbor heard the cras

cynthia peak. maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends. cindy peak . cindy and maria and catherine koontz. we're all teachers at the same school and have been family friends. for decades. however governor li said right now is not the time to discuss and debate policy. there will be a time to talk about the legislation and the budget proposals that we brought forth even this year, and clearly there's more work to do. a city council member, tells cnn that the head of school 60 year old katherine coons, may have died protecting the children. the city officials said that a witness said that coots was on a zoom call when the shooting began. and that coots left that call now, according to police, where could his body was found, leads them to believe that encounter the shooter. in the hallway. carlos suarez, cnn, nashville, tennessee. joining me now is nashville council member at large share in hurt and misheard. i really thank you for joining us and sharing part of your experience very tragic experiences over the last couple of days. you attended some vigils

halle scruggs, william kenny, all of them just nine years old cynthia peak 61. katherine coons, age 60 and mike hill age 61. according to police. all six of them were killed by a 28 year old woman who they say may have been a former student. they say they were received calls at 10 13 am about the shooting at according to police, that woman was armed with at least two assault rifles as well as a handgun. they say that she entered through a side door they believe and got to the upper level of the school, which is inside covenant. presbyterian church there in nashville. about 200 kids attend this school. it is preschool through sixth grade that they serve. according to police. the shooting happened in what they described as a lobby area now still trying to determine exactly what happened here. and, of course why that 28 year old woman targeted this school. they do believe that she may have been a former student. they say there is video at the school and that they are going over that. the police chief also said that the doors were locked, so they're trying to determ

among the killed was cynthia peak, believed to be a substitute teacher might kill a 61 year old custodian at the school and 60 year old catherine koontz. she was the head of the school who police believe encountered the shooter in the hallway question whatsoever. um. she gave her life because she was trying to. protect students protect faculty . the children who were killed were all just nine years old, william kenny, evelyn, dick house and holly scruggs. scruggs and the other victims were remembered in a service that was held at the park city's presbyterian church in dallas were scruggs father served as associate pastor before coming to the covenant presbyterian church. we're here because their hearts are broken. we're here because we weep with our friends . the chief of police was asked why it took officers 11 minutes to respond to the school after the initial 911 call was made, the chief said, based on what he had seen so far, he did not have a problem with it, but that the department would look into that response. carlos suarez, cnn, nashville, tennessee. joining me now from middletow

substitute teacher cynthia peak was described as a sweet soul who cared about people and was outgoingith and a former student said katherine koonce fought for her students, oftentimes when we quit fighting for ourself, and the 3 9d-year-oldings, william kinney, evelyn dieckhaus. that radiance i believe was jesus in her. a neighbor said evelyn loved singing songs from "hamilton" and, and evelyn's 11-year-old sister through tears said i don't want to be an only child. nbc's lindsey reiser is back with us from nashville. we're both parents. this is just gutting to hear and report on. i understand you're talking to pastor here this morning. tell us what you're learning. >> garrett, gutting to hear about these little kids and adults who lost their lives, gutting to be here at the scene to see these six crosses behind me and see school buses pull up and kids pay their respects in front of this memorial here. nothing any child or any person should have to do. evelyn dieckhaus's family released a statement overnight saying our hearts are completely broken. we cannot believe this has happened.

cynthia peak. maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends. cindy peak . cindy and maria and catherine koontz. we're all teachers at the same school and have been family friends for decades. however, governor li said right now is not the time to discuss and debate policy. there will be a time to talk about the legislation and the budget proposals that we brought forth even this year, and clearly there's more work to do. a city council member, tells cnn that the head of school 60 year old katherine coons, may have died protecting the children. the city officials said that a witness said that it was on a zoom call when the shooting began. and that coots left that call. according to police. where could his body was found leads them to believe that could encounter the shooter. in the hallway. carlos suarez, cnn, nashville, tennessee awful. alright this morning president biden's recent reproach to israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu over his controversial high court overhaul now escalating into a rare public disagreement. you know, israel and the united

among the lives lost, substitute teacher cynthia peak, long-time custodian mike hill, and katherine koonce, head of the covenant school. the youngest victims evelyn, william, and hallie. >> we're all asking questions right now. no one really understands. >> reporter: tonight, finding comfort in faith in a place where students should always be safe. >> kathy joins us now live from nashville. kathy, amazing how fast those officers moved into the school. how are officials assessing their own response to the shooting? >> well, lester, police chief says there is always room for improvement, but the president did reach out to the chief and responding officers directly and commended them for their quick actions and bravery. lester? >> all right. kathy park, thank you. >>> also developing, nbc news has learned a federal judge is ordering former vice president mike pence to testify to a grand jury. the one called by the special counsel investigating former president trump's efforts to overturn his election laws. laura jarrett was first to report this story. laura, this is potentially a big win for

the adults were cynthia peak, mike hill, katherine koonce. authorities say this was a planned and targeted shooting with detailed maps of the school and writings. the suspect was armed with at least two assault style weapons and a handgun. they believe she used to be a student at the school. president biden says congress needs to pass an assault weapons ban, saying we need to do more to protect our schools. live in the newsroom. ama: thank you. an event like today's school shooting are sobering reminders of the toll of gun violence. whether you have lost a loved one, been a victim yourself, or are feeling the emotional weight of these incidents, we have found ways to help. visit abc 7 news/taking action. dan: san jose police have identified the vehicle that hit and killed a woman seven-day night. police were informed by a citizen at the vehicle's location, and by using automated license plate reader cameras. the incident happened on blossom hill road 47:00 p.m. tified the v cowcoroner's office lemon -- cal lemon. her daughter was transported

halle scruggs, william kenny, cynthia peaks. katherine coons, mike hill, that entire community victimized and we have to do something about it. we'll be right back. cnnnn this mornig brought to you by genre. for more information. . visit for sandra .cocom. remember the this you loved doing before your asthma got in the way. get back sandra is an add on treatment for asthma having too many cinephiles type of white blood cell can cause inflammation and asthma symptoms is designed to target and remove eosinophilic and helps prevent asthma attacks is one dose every eight weeks. for centric and help patients to breathe better. most patients did not have an asthma attack in the first year and for central helps lower the use of oral steroids is not for sudden breathing problems or other conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens, headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection, get back to be

substitute teacher cynthia peak custodian mike hill and school headmaster katherine coons. smart, witty, funny. always with great advice. tricia drake, a former colleague of coons says there last email exchange was about active shooter training in school. i can't believe that that was my last conversation with her exactly where the students would be. she was prepared. i'm sure they had run those drills. it could have been 40 50 60 people killed if not for the preparedness of her friend. the shooter audrey hale was carrying two assault style rifles, a handgun and significant ammunition all bought legally responding officers quickly taking down the shooter who police say once attended the school. the officials have not identified a specific motive. a former instructor at the college hail attended, says hail posted on facebook about the death of a romantic partner in recent years , telling the new york times that hale had been openly grieving about that on social media and during the grieving is when she announced that she wanted to be addressed as a male. meanwhile tense mome

teacher cynthia peak., a father of seven who has worked at covenant for more than a decade. and the head of the school, katherine koonce. >> everybody says this. >> reporter: trisha drake is a former colleague. >> that you don't think it's real until it comes to your town, and it is devastating. and it's -- it's heartbreaking. and i hope this is the last one, but i think we all know it's -- it probably won't be. >> reporter: at the school's entrance tonight, a growing symbol of heartache. the flowers and remembrances that have come to mark the aftermath of every school shooting. and the recurring question, how to stop it. >> and i think there's things our government and leaders need to be doing right now to prevent this from happening. >> reporter: tonight police say they have interviewed the shooter's parents and they are combing through the writings left behind but have not learned a motive for the carnage left behind. norah. >> so painful to hear. janet shamlian, thank you. >>> i want to turn now to a m

cynthia peak. to my understanding of substitute teacher age 61. and catherine coots. age 60 police say the suspect was audrey hale , who identifies as transgender in the nashville area residents who they say is a former student of the private christian school, located at covenant presbyterian church, which serves preschool through sixth grade. a car near the scene helped identify hail, and police say they are currently going over writings left behind by the shooter. we've also determine there were maps drawn other school in detail of surveillance entry points, etcetera. we know and believe that entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors is how they actually got into the school calls started coming in at 10 13 am the officers had engaged the shooter by 10 27, and she was deceased. metro nashville police say there is video from the school and the shooting happened on an upper level in the lobby area, not a classroom teacher, texting her daughter from inside the school. she said she was hiding in the closet and that they were shooting all over and that th

the adults killed were cynthia peak, a substitute teacher custodian mike hill and the head of school, katherine koonce nashville. police said tuesday he'll may have confronted the shooter. i do know. >> she was in the hallway by there was a confrontation. i'm can tell the way she was laying in the hallway that was the custodian african-american and she shot through. the door to she sprayed rounds through the glass striking him. we've also learned more about the shooter's weapons, including 3 use in the carnage. the shooter bought a total of 7 from 5 gun stores legally. >> despite police saying the shooter had been treated for an emotional disorder. if you mentioned guns, the multiple guns and that the shooter was under the care of a doctor. >> is there any law in this state that would have allowed police to take those guns away from this person had been reported? if it had been reported, there's not a lot for that. but had it been reported that she was suicidal or that she was going to kill someone and have been made known to us. then we would have tried to get those weapons outside t

about the shooter but first and most importantly, we wanted to focus on the victims. 61 year old cynthia peak was a beloved substitute teacher. six year old catherine kunz was the head of the school. 61 year old mike hill custodian. the young victims include nine year olds, all three of them, william kenny halle scruggs. you can see here pictured with her father. he's actually the lead pastor at covenant church. this is a photo of them from 2019 and evelyn dick house, the tennessee and reports that her sister, i fifth grader cried at last night's vigil, saying, quote i don't want to be an only child. cnn's sandra walker is in nashville. covering all of this, aymara. i mean, the more we are learning this morning about these details about what led up to this and what happened in the moments before this tragic shooting took place. there is so much more that we're learning and look, the reality is that there are six families waking up this morning here in nashville without their children, and without their loved ones. this is what they're going to have to go through for the rest of their lives. i

cynthia peak, a substitute teacher and catherine koonce, the head of coming at school. it's a small private christian school that serves preschoolers through 6th graders. police have identified the shooter as this woman. 28 year-old audrey hail, a transgender woman who >> may have been a former student at the school reporter dallas parker is joining us live tonight from nashville with the latest. good evening, dallas. >> good evening, grant pam. i'm here outside the woodmont baptist church. now this is one of the locations where school officials were telling parents and families to come and be reunited with their children. but as we know, 3 of those babies did not. they didn't make it home to their families here today. now we're continuing to learn more about the shooter. 28 year-old audrey hail. police say they have gone to her and found a manifesto. they found some renderings and drawings and mapping of the school as well as some surveillance footage of the as far as a motive is concerned there said they're still trying to work on that are really not ready to release

her victims were nine—year—olds evelyn, hallie and william, and three staff members — cynthia peak, mikehead teacher. police say audrey hale was a former student here at the school, had no criminal record, and that resentment may have been a motive. a friend of hale's has told the bbc tonight they communicated moments before the attack. i received an instagram dm from audrey, basically stating that i would see her on the news later on this evening, and that something tragic was about to happen. i was just speechless. like, i'mjust like... i'm sorry, like, i'm still trying to wrap my head around what we're going through as a city. officers say hale had a manifesto and could have killed more people. we've determined that audrey bought seven firearms from five different local gun stores here legally. three of those weapons were used yesterday during the horrific tragedy. she was under care, a doctor's care for an emotional disorder. law enforcement knew nothing about the treatment she was receiving. it's caused president biden to renew his call to ban assault rifles — the type used in this

william kenny, all nine years old 60 year old catherine kunz was the head of the school 61 year old cynthia peaks substitute teacher and 61 year old mike hill was the school's custodian. and our coverage of the nashville nashville schools. during continues online, you can find the latest developments on ktvu dot com tonight. an investigation is underway after a woman's body was found dumped in west oakland police say they are treating her death as suspicious this evening. the victim's family has identified her as megan actually lynched the mother of young children. ktvu is amber lee as the story she's a free spirit free spirit . awful these two women are talking about megan ashley lynch , whose death oakland, police say is suspicious, believe honestly, christie miles is megan's mother. she tells me her daughter was found dead last thursday morning just after 10 15. miles says the 33 year old's body was wrapped in a plastic bag, rolled up in a carpet and dumped in an industrial area of west oakland daughter it was something very. vicious and horrific. police say they're investigating and releasin

katherine coons, was also killed , along with teacher cynthia peak and custodian mike hill. we just need to embrace those that are grieving because we agree with them police patrol cars outside the school were left riddled with bullet holes. authorities say hail fired at officers from a second story window. according to police to officers ran toward the gunfire , shooting and killing hell. just 14 minutes after the 1st 911 call multiple victims down inside the school shooter is down as now as well. authorities say they strongly believe hail described as a 28 year old female who identifies as transgender was a former student at the private christian school. overnight police say they found more guns and evidence at hales home. a motivs under investigation. belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school. don't have all the details to that. just yet. violence is the number one cause of death for children in america, recently surpassing car crashes in washington advocates for gun reform once again, demanding tougher measures this person has to a r 15 and a

and the three adults were as substitute teacher, cynthia peake, 61 years old, the head teacher katherine1 years old, described by the authorities as a custodian at the school. peter, whenever we hear stories about school shootings in the us, the question i have seen from so many parents today is why can't children go to school and come back home safe? it is the same thing we're hearing from president biden. we have heard he has made comments about how more laws should be pushed through. what specifically did he say? well, we have tragically heard this several times from president biden, and as you imply your question, we have been here so many times before, and that question on the lips of parents, why does this keep happening? again, that is the question the president has posed and he is again putting pressure and requesting that congress pass more laws but much tougher laws than have previously been passed to specifically ban assault weapons, military style weapons. now, there was some bipartisan legislation passed last year in congress that so many people here sayjust doesn't go far e

her victims were nine—year—olds evelyn, hallie and william, and three staff members — cynthia peak, mikead teacher. police say audrey hale was a former student here at the school, had no criminal record, and that resentment may have been a motive. a friend of hale's has told the bbc tonight they communicated moments before the attack. i received an instagram dm from audrey, basically stating that i would see her on the news later on this evening, and that something tragic was about to happen. i was just speechless. like, i'mjust like... i'm sorry, like, i'm still trying to wrap my head around what we're going through as a city. officers say hale had a manifesto and could have killed more people. we've determined that audrey bought seven firearms from five different local gun stores here legally. three of those weapons were used yesterday during the horrific tragedy. she was under care, a doctor's care for an emotional disorder. law enforcement knew nothing about the treatment she was receiving. it's caused president biden to renew his call to ban assault rifles — the type used in this sh

also killed, school custodian mike hill, the head of the school, katherine koonce, and cynthia peak,itute teacher. police today revealing the shooter identifies as transgender. >> there were maps drawn of the school in detail of surveillance, entry points, et cetera. we know and believe that entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors. >> reporter: terrified parents rushed to the school as their children were escorted out by police. shendell brooks said she got a call that her son's school was on lockdown. >> i felt like my nerves left me. no parent should have to receive that call. no parent should have to go through anything like that. >> just happy to be reunited with them and so sad for the families that were affected. >> reporter: president biden talking about the shootings, again urged congress to pass an assault weapons ban. >> we have to do more to stop gun violence. it's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of the nation. >> reporter: the shooter left behind a manifesto and authorities are now looking through

teacher cynthia peak, custodian mike hill, a father of seven who has worked at covenant for more thanof the school, katherine koonce. >> everybody says that -- >> tricia drake is a former colleague. >> you don't think it's real until it comes to your town, and it is devastating and it's heartbreaking. and i hope this is the last one, but i think we all know it probably won't be. >> at the school's entrance tonight, a growing symbol of heart ache. the flowers and remembrances that have come to mark the aftermath of every school shooting. and the recurring question: how to stop it. >> i think there are things our government and leaders need to be doing right now to prevent this from happening. >> tonight, police say they have interviewed the shooter's parents and they are combing through the writings left behind, but have not learned a motive for the carnage left behind. norah. >> norah: so painful to hear. janet, thank you. there is one thing that nearly every mass shooting in recent history has in common, and that's the kind of weapon used in the attacks, an assault style weapon. the

evelyn -- house hailey scruggs and william kinney the adult staff killed catherine koontz aged 60 cynthia peak and mike hill both 61. the first call to the covenant school came in around 10 am local time within 14 minutes five officers made it to the second floor and killed the shooter now identified as audrey hale. there's multiple victims down inside the school shooter is down and now as well law enforcements say they strongly believe that hail was a former student of the pre-k through sixth grade school. they say they found a note left behind along with a map of how the shooting would take place police say every door to the school was locked, but it's believed that hail got in through a side door shooting it open since we've moved in the last 30 years from waiting outside schools to literally going in seconds after we hear it. they followed the shots to the second floor it saved who knows countless lives the students who survived the mass shooting can be seen here holding hands moving single file away from this school. i was literally moved to tears to see deals and the key is as they were

. >> reporter: substitute teacher cynthia peak was supposed to have dinner with the governor's wife monday. custodian mike hill, known as big mike at covenant. described as a sweet soul. >> nobody serves that. nobody deserves it. >> reporter: and the youngest victims, all 9 years old. evelyn dieckhaus loved sing and performance. classmate hallie scruggs, the daughter of a pastor at covenant church. and william kinney, described by a family friend as an unflappable spirit. >> but this is not a time for hate or rage. that will not resolve or heal. everyone is hurting. >> reporter: also hurting, averianna patton, who grew up with audrey hale and received an ominous message from the suspect on social media, saying, quote, something bad is about to happen, and asking for forgiveness, just before storming the building. >> i wrote back and said audrey you have so much more life to live. >> reporter: but it was too late. minutes later, the heavily armed former student stole six lives from the covenant family and this ó wendy woolfolk, nbc news, nashville. >> it is incomprehensible still. >>> a gut

and the three adults were as substitute teacher, cynthia peake, 61 years old, the head teacher katherineyears old, described by the authorities as a custodian at the school. earlier, i wasjoined by anti—gun lobbyist and activist ashbey beasley. she survived a mass shooting last year and attended a press conference at the covenant school today. i asked her how her family was coping after seeing another shooting so close to them. we're doing ok. we are in nashville on vacation and my son was thankfully at the zoo, but this has become an everyday thing in america, these shootings. you attended the press conference today and made a passioned plea. can you tell us more about what you are trying to get across? you know, ithink we're just not having the right conversations. in america, gun violence has become the number one killer of children and teens. we need to do something about this immediately. we need gun safety legislation and until we get gun safety legislation these kinds of shootings... and it is time for lawmakers to step up and make changes so that people do not have access to thes

the head of the school according to its website and cynthia peak the substitute teacher and mike hilldian both 61. >> i was literally moved to tears to see this and the tears those kids as they were being ushered out of the building. >> alex: the devastating images of small children living in single file hoping those helping those holding hands, terrified faces seen through school bus windows. parents anxiously looking for their kids, running to parking lots. gathering at a nearby church in supporting each other in prayer. >> we need to embrace those that are grieving because we grieve with them. at times like this. >> alex: police identifying the shooter as 28-year-old audrey hale from natural. may have been a student at the school. authorities say the shooter identified as transgnder. investigators finding a vehicle thereby helping them identify the shooter. officers searching the home finding maps of the school property and writings the shooter left behind. this tells you about someone whose total identity was wrapped into committing this mass shooting. >> alex: according to the po

cynthia peak, from my understanding, a substitute teacher, aged 61, and katherine koonce, age 60. >>: the shooter was on the second floor when confronted by police. just 14 minutes after the initial call, it was over. >> we've identified the shooter as audrey hail, 28. >> authorities have been on the scene of a nashville area home. >> there were maps drawn of the school in detail, surveillance, entry points, et cetera. >> reporter: students were guided from the school, while anxious parents waited to be reunited with children. the investigation has just started. >> three people lost their children today. hard to imagine. >> reporter: something hard to imagine is now reality in nashville. dan schenamen, nbc news. >> president biden spoke from the white house about today's mass shooting. he expressed sympathy for the victims and called on congress to help put a stop to gun violence. >> it's just sick, you know. we're still gathering the facts of what happened and why. and we do know thatt= there are a number of people who are not -- did not make it. including children.!■z it's heartbre

cynthia peak, 61, a substitute teacher. and katherine koonce, 60-year-old, the beloved head of the school the children, william kinney, third grader evelyn dieckhaus, her family saying she was a lining light in this world. and haley scruggs, the pastor's daughter, calling her such a gift, all of them just 9 years old. >> these are the faces we must remember from all of this. i want to bring in alex perez from the scene. alex, what more have you learned about a possible motive? i know the fbi and police still going through the writings. >> they discovered writings mentioning several possible other targets. authorities say they believe there could have been more victims, even outside the school, had the officers not accident as quickly as they did. david? >> alex perez, thank you. you heard the report, the suspect bought seven guns from five different stores, all purchased legally, by an assailant, we learned was under a doctor's care for an emotional disorder. we bring in pierre thoma tonight. were there red flags missed, an

three staff members were murdered, 61 year old cynthia peak, it's the one year old catherine coutts andke hill, the school custodian. 39 year old children were shot to death in that school today. the only information -- about the children are their names and ages. evelyn dieckhaus was nine years old, alex -- william kinney was nine years old. their life came to an end today and in the worst possible way. joining us now in sadness once, again, david hogg cofounder of -- he is a survivor of the school shooting at marjory stone douglas high school, florida. david, there are about 200 kids who attend that school, all now traumatized survivors. all traumatized. what should their parents know they are going to be going through? >> that there is no amount of healing that perfectly gets you through the -- honestly lawrence, is much more than about the 200 young people who went through that experience of gun violence today. it is about the millions of americans that are going through this every single day in our country and are fearing for their lives. people of all ages. we are told time and ti

cynthia peak was a beloved wife and mother. and dr. katherine koonce was a dedicated and passionate educator who always put children first. and words cannot describe how hard it is to lose children. three precious 9-year-old children. one of whom was the daughter of the lead pastor of the covenant presbyterian church. these children never had a chance to grow up. my heart is completely broken for these families. i cannot imagine it. nothing can be said to dull the pain of this tragedy. tennesseans and americans worldwide are praying and grieving with this covenant community. madam speaker, i also want to commend all the first responders that were on the scene and the medical professionals that treated victims at vanderbilt medical center. i especially want to commend the five metro police officers who arrived at the school first. these men ran toward the sound of the gunfire instead of away from it. their bravery absolutely saved lives. the two officers that shot and killed with a gun the shooter, officers reks engelbert and michael co

also killed, school custodian mike hill, the head of the school, katherine koonce, and cynthia peak, police today revealing the shooter identifies as transgender. >> there were maps drawn of the school in detail of surveillance, entry points, et cetera. we know and believe that entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors. >> reporter: terrified parents rushed to the school as their children were escorted out by police. shaundelle brooks said she got a call ta her son's school was on lockdown. >> i felt like my nerves left me. no parent should have to receive that call. no parent should have to go through anything like that. >> just happy to be reunited with them and so sad for the families that were affected. >> reporter: president biden talking about the shootings again urged congress to pass an assault weapons ban.haveo do me. it's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation -- ripping at the very soul of the nation. >> reporter: the shooter left behind a manifesto, and authorities are now looking through it. the police chief late today said that t

cynthia peak, 61 years old. and mike hill, who's 61 years old, also died today. the 9-year-olds, all they did was get up and go to school. the three adults likely got up and went to work. and tonight their families are grieving this horrific loss. this afternoon president joe biden doing what has become an all too frequent ritual of the american presidency, addressing another tragedy of mass gun violence in america and calling for change. >> it's just -- it's sick. you know, we're still gathering the facts of what happened and why. and we do know that as of now there are a number of people who are not -- did not make it, including children. it's heartbreaking, a family's worst nightmare. and i want to commend the police who responded incredibly swiftly, within minutes to end the danger. we're monitoring this situation really closely. ben, as you know. and we have to do more to stop gun violence. i call on congress again to pass my assault weapons ban. it's about time that we begin to make some more progress. >>

. >> among the dead are three students identified as dickerson hallie scruggs, william kinney, cynthia peak katherine koonce. >> i'm so sad and heart-broken by the families impacted by this. >> police say this was a planned and targeted map and the suspect had detailed maps drawn. >> it's heart-breaking to see it happen here. >> flowers now sit outside the school and the national chief said the suspect had an assault style rifle, a pistol and an assault gun. >> this community is leaning on the power of prayer. >> have they figured out the suspects motivation for this? >> officials are looking over the man fess to but ultimately there's no motive that can justify and there's an extensive investigation but when you talk to the folks coming here to drop off those mementos they come here to pray but how is it that this continues to happen in america. >> i'm getting tired of covering these kinds of stories. our top stories in sacramento a bill is passed that holds big oil companies accountable for profits. they can set caps for refineries and create an independent watch dog with excessive profit