A shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee left 3 students and 3 staff members dead on March 27.
Former student of the Covenant School, Audrey Hale, fired 152 rounds that Monday morning. Although the exact motive is unknown, Hale was under care for an emotional disorder at the time. Hale was also in the process of becoming a transgender male, meaning she would then prefer the pronouns he/him.
Destanee Thomas, one of Hale’s previous classmates said “[Hale] was posting a lot about depression in the past couple of weeks.”
Police have found evidence that the 28 year old former student had been planning the shooting for months. Within those months, Hale legally purchased 7 firearms, 3 of which were used at the school that morning.
Hale entered the school after shooting through the glass doors in the front of the building. Within the 17 minutes from when Hale entered the door to when authorities took action, 6 people were killed. Hale was then shot dead at the scene.
Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Mike Hill, Cynthia Peek, and Katherine Koonce all fell victim to the increasing gun violence in the United States.
When the shooting happened, our school was on Spring Break and I was getting ready to go to work. I scrolled past a news article that sickened me; 6 people died that morning. Once I read that more members of a school community were killed in a place they should consider safe, I wanted to call in sick.
The fact that as students, my peers and I fear going to school every morning, should awaken some action nationwide. Something needs to be done in honor of these children that were just ready to learn something new that day, and the adults that were brave enough to help.
As a country, we’ve reached the point where even one act will help. Whether that is stricter gun laws, easier access to mental health care, or better crime prevention. Something needs to be done, or else more children will fear going to school every day. Constantly looking over their shoulders for anyone who could hurt them.
The Sandy Hook Promise is an organization dedicated to protecting America’s children from gun violence in honor of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims in 2012. With over 18.5 million participants, they strive to educate students to know the signs and help others in prevention of gun violence.
Considering that there have been more mass shootings than actual days in 2023, changes need to be made. If you are passionate about helping students nationwide and providing for the families who lost their children in these tragedies, visit the Sandy Hook Promise website to see how you can help.
