Two Nashville news anchors became visibly emotional during live coverage of Monday's devastating mass shooting at a Christian academy.
On March 27, Audrey Hale, 28, opened fire at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee in a heartbreaking tragedy that has left at least three children and three adults dead.
It has been reported that Hale - who was assigned female at birth but had used a social media account that included the use of the pronouns he/him - was armed with two "assault-style" weapons and a handgun, according to The Guardian.
Law enforcement also disclosed that Hale had carefully prepared for the attack by drawing a detailed map and conducting surveillance of the building.
Watch coverage of the school attack below:Nashville police chief John Drake revealed that Hale - who was a former student at the Christian elementary school - had a manifesto that implied that there were going to be shootings at several locations - with the school being one of them.
The official added that investigators believed the shooting emanated from "some resentment" the suspect maintained "for having to go to that school" as a child.
Hale was shot and killed at the school by police officers when they arrived on the scene - 14 minutes after the first call about the shooting came in.
While delivering the horrendous news to viewers, anchors for Nashville's WSMV became overcome with emotion and found it difficult to compose themselves.
Watch Nashville's WSMV anchors below:"Now, we have just learned three children are confirmed dead in this," Holly Thompson said during a live broadcast. "My heart is just hurting right now," she emotionally said while looking away from the camera. "Thoughts and prayers for these families."
Thompson's co-anchor Amanda Hara reached for her hand and held her arm before turning the broadcast over to a reporter at the hospital.
Earlier in the broadcast, Hara struggled to hold back tears when she said that her children's schools were going into lockdown as a precaution and working with security to verify the kids' safety.
Three of the child victims of the mass shooting were identified as nine-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney.
The adults who were shot and killed by Hale were identified as substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, and custodian Mike Hill - both 61 years old - as well as the head of the school since 2016, Katherine Koonce, 60 years old.
Democratic state representative Bob Freeman, whose district comprises of The Covenant School, described the mass shooting as an "unimaginable tragedy," as cited by The Daily Mail.
"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."
Speaking about the "heartbreaking" attack, President Joe Biden reiterated his call for Congress to enact gun control reform including an assault weapons ban.
"We have to do more to stop gun violence ripping our communities apart," the president said at the White House, per The Guardian. "It’s ripping the soul from this nation."
