As the nation mourns the devasting school shooting in Nashville, here's what we know so far about the six victims who lost their lives in the tragedy. On March 27, 28-year-old <a href="https://vt.co/news/us/police-release-chilling-footage-of-shooter-audrey-hale-moments-before-nashville-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audrey Hale</a> opened fire at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee in a violent tragedy that has claimed the lives of at least three children and three adults. It has been reported that Hale - who was assigned female at birth but had used a social media account that included the use of he/him pronouns - was armed with two 'assault rifles and a handgun', per the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/28/sister-of-9-year-old-nashville-shooting-victim-i-dont-want-to-be-an-only-child/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed that the suspect carefully prepared for the shooting by drawing a precise map and conducting surveillance of the building. Hale gained access to the school building after destroying glass panes in a side door. <img class="wp-image-1263203218 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/school-2.jpg" alt="" width="1535" height="800" />[[imagecaption|| The Covenant Presbyterian Church and school entrance are blocked off by Metro Nashville Police after the deadly shooting. Credit: Camden Hall / Alamy]] Nashville police chief John Drake also revealed that the perpetrator - who was a former student at the Christian elementary school - had a manifesto that indicated that there were going to be shootings at different locations - with the school being one of them. In addition to this, law enforcement disclosed to detectives that they believe the attack stemmed from "some resentment" Hale had "for having to go to that school" as a kid, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/27/tennessee-nashville-school-shooting-covenant">The Guardian</a>. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1640401633371734033]] Devastatingly, the three child victims who were killed are identified as nine-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. Ever since the shooting, the loved ones of the victims have been paying tribute. Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9 <img class="size-large wp-image-1263203230" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-20.01.18-1024x580.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="580" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: The Dieckhaus Family]] In a statement obtained by <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/28/us/victims-covenant-school-shooting-nashville/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN affiliate KMOV</a>, Evelyn's family have asked for privacy at this time, but said: "Our hearts are completely broken. We cannot believe this has happened." The statement also described Evelyn as their "shining light in this world." Evelyn's older sister Eleanor survived the rampage that took her younger sibling's life and shared a heartbreaking statement at a vigil on Monday evening. Woodmont Christian Church senior minister Clay Stauffer quoted the fifth-grader's emotional words which read: "'I don’t want to be an only child,'" as cited by <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/28/sister-of-9-year-old-nashville-shooting-victim-i-dont-want-to-be-an-only-child/">The New York Post</a>. Another family friend also remembered the young girl and described her as "very creative." They also told <a href="https://www.emissourian.com/local_news/nashville-shooting-victim-was-granddaughter-of-washington-couple/article_7c71c9d8-ccef-11ed-b0f4-471e9e13f191.html">The Missourian</a> that Evelyn and Eleanor "would stage plays in the backyard," adding: "She was just an absolute delight." William Kinney, 9 <img class="size-large wp-image-1263203231" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-20.08.39-1024x504.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="504" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: GoFundMe]] William Kinney's family have also asked for privacy at this time, but a family friend by the name of Rachael Freitas has since set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/will-kinney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe page</a> in order to raise money for the child's funeral costs. On the page, Freitas writes: "Will had an unflappable spirit. He was unfailingly kind, gentle when the situation called for it, quick to laugh, and always inclusive of others. "He loved his sisters, adored his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and was always excited to host friends of every age. Sweet Will knew no strangers, and our hearts our broken for his family as they try to find their way forward." Hallie Scruggs, 9 <img class="size-large wp-image-1263203232" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-20.12.29-1024x594.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="594" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]] Nine-year-old victim Hallie Scruggs has been named as the daughter of Chad Scruggs, a senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A statement from the church reads: "The Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCPC) family is incredibly saddened by the unimaginable tragedy today at Covenant Presbyterian School in Nashville, TN. Covenant Presbyterian Church is a sister church of PCPC; many of our members have deep friendships and family connections there. "Chad Scruggs, current Lead Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, served for several years as Associate Pastor at PCPC. PCPC Senior Pastor, Mark Davis shared, 'We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie. Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need.'" Katherine Koonce, 60 <img class="size-large wp-image-1263203043" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-11.32.29-1024x1015.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1015" />[[imagecaption|| Katherine Koonce. Credit: The Covenant School]] <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65095355" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC News</a> reports that Dr. Katherine Koonce was the head of Covenant, with one mother - who has two children enrolled at the private school - describing her as a "saint". "She did so much for those kids," the parent said. "And now gave her life protecting them." "She knew every single student by name [...] She did everything to help them when families couldn't afford things, it didn't matter. She found ways for them to stay," the mom added. One friend, Dean Russ Crowe, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10226945295765930&set=a.10203852191532757&type=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Facebook: "Today is such a tragedy. I know [Katherine's] entrance into heaven was abundant. But here we on earth we are devastated. Please pray for her husband and family. And for all the families who thought today was just another Monday and counting down to Spring Break. It's just horrible." Mike Hill, 61 Another victim, Mike Hill, has been identified as one of the school's custodians. The man who hired him 13 years ago, Tim Dunavant - who is a pastor at Harstville First United Methodist Church - has said that he will miss Hill's "encouraging texts out of the blue". <img class="size-large wp-image-1263203049" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-11.43.27-842x1024.jpg" alt="" width="842" height="1024" />[[imagecaption|| Mike Hill. Credit: Covenant Presbyterian Church]] Dunavant also said he wouldn't be surprised if it revealed that Hill sacrificed himself in order to save others, as "he's the kind of guy that would do that". Cynthia Peak, 61 <img class="size-full wp-image-1263203233" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-20.21.03.jpg" alt="" width="602" height="728" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: KALB]] Per <a href="https://www.kalb.com/2023/03/28/teacher-killed-tennessee-elementary-school-shooting-was-raised-leesville/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KALB</a>, 61-year-old Cynthia Peak was raised in Leesville, Louisiana, and recently moved to Tennessee with her family. She is a former student of Leesville High School, Captain Shreve High School, and TCU. Peak is survived by her husband, a daughter, and two sons. The perpetrator's mother, Norma, spoke briefly to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/nashville-shooter-audrey-hale/story?id=98166039">ABC News</a> after the tragedy and said that it's "very, very difficult right now," for their family and pleaded for privacy at this time. "I really can't talk right now, I think I lost my daughter today," she went on, while a neighbor of the family told the publication that Hale was "very nice" and "very religious". According to <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/27/mother-of-nashville-school-shooter-audrey-hale-shared-several-gun-control-posts-on-social-media/">The New York Post</a>, Norma <a href="https://vt.co/news/us/mom-of-nashville-school-shooter-shared-number-of-gun-control-posts-on-social-media-prior-to-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seemed to be a gun control activist</a> who was vocal in sharing anti-gun posts on social media. She reportedly posted a petition to "Keep Guns Out of School" from the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation on March 8, 2018, and captioned it: "So important!" Furthermore, the outlet reported that on February 21, 2018, she shared another petition from Sandy Hook Promise demanding lawmakers to "Make Large-Capacity Gun Magazines Illegal". 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. <img class="size-large wp-image-1263203034" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-28-at-11.17.48-1024x605.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="605" />[[imagecaption|| Officers Englebert and Collazo. Credit: Metro Nashville Police Department.]] The officers who fatally shot Hale have been named as Officer Rex Englebert and Officer Michael Collazo. Our thoughts are with the family and friends who have lost their loved ones in this violent attack. <h6>Featured image credit: Camden Hall / Alamy</h6>

What we currently know about the Nashville School shooting victims

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