After a 28-year-old opened fire at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, killing six people, including three children, the White House led a shocked country in calling for stricter gun laws.
“While you’ve been in this room, I don’t know if you’ve been on your phones, but we just heard about another shooting in Tennessee—a school shooting—and I am truly speechless,” said first lady Jill Biden at an event in Washington as news of the shooting at the Covenant School began to spread.
“Our children deserve better. “And we’re all standing with Nashville in prayer,” she said. Soon after the shooting, President Joe Biden talked about it and called on Congress again to do something about it.
Biden said that the shooting was “heartbreaking” and that it was “a family’s worst nightmare.” He said that there should be more done to stop gun violence.
“It’s tearing our communities apart,” he said. “We need to do more to protect our schools.” He asked Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons. He also said, “It’s about time we started making more progress.”
This month, Biden announced a new set of executive actions to reduce gun violence and the number of guns being sold to people who shouldn’t have them.
The measures were meant to make background checks stricter, encourage safer ways to store guns and make sure that law enforcement agencies get more out of a gun control law passed by both parties last summer.
But his actions didn’t change government policy. Instead, they told federal agencies to make sure they followed the laws and rules that were already in place.
Karine Jean-Pierre, who works in the press office at the White House, said that the school shooting in Nashville was “devastating,” “heartbreaking,” and “unacceptable.”
“How many more children have to be killed before Republicans in Congress step up and do something to pass the assault weapons ban, to close loopholes in our background check system, or to make sure guns are stored safely?” she asked.
“Our children should feel safe and protected when they go to school. Jean-Pierre said, “People should feel safe going to the grocery store.”
The shooter, who was later identified as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, killed three children and three adults, according to police in Nashville. The shooter was then killed by police shots. John Drake, the head of the Metro Nashville Police Department, said that the shooter had been a student at the school.
Reports say that the shooter got into the school through a side door at 10:13 a.m. and started shooting on the second floor with two assault rifles and a handgun. By 10:27 a.m., they had been killed by gunfire.
The 200-student private school opened in 2011. It is not thought to have guards with guns. Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, said he was “closely watching the tragic situation at Covenant” and asked people to “please join us in praying for the school, congregation, and Nashville community.”
I am closely monitoring the tragic situation at Covenant, & the @TNDeptofSafety & @TNHighwayPatrol are assisting local law enforcement & first responders at the scene.
As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) March 27, 2023
“My heart goes out to the families of the victims,” said Mayor John Cooper of Nashville. “On a sad morning, Nashville joined the long list of places where school shootings have happened,” he said.
In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting.
My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you.
As facts continue to emerge, I thank our first responders and medical professionals.
— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) March 27, 2023
As parents rushed to get their kids from a nearby church, a police officer expressed his or her sorrow. The officer was heard telling parents, “I know this is probably the worst day of everyone’s lives.” “I can’t say enough about how kind we are.”
