One of the victims of the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville is the daughter of the school’s pastor.
CBS News reports that Hallie Scruggs, age nine, is the daughter of Chad Scruggs, senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church.
According to the New York Post, the girl was recognized as one of the three slain pupils following the incident.
Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney are the names of the other two children.
Moreover, three adults were slain in the horrific shooting.
They are Cynthia Peak, Michael Hill, and Katherine Koonce, as identified.
Peak and Hill were teachers at the school, while Koonce was the principal.
After the tragedy, Scruggs and his family have received an outpouring of prayers and support.
Chad Scruggs is the Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville and his 9 year old daughter, Hallie, was a victim in today’s shooting.
Please shower these families in prayer. 🙏🙏🙏#NashvilleCovenantSchool pic.twitter.com/JyHCi521ZU— Blue Starr 🇺🇸💫 (@bluestarrfl) March 27, 2023
According to the New York Post, police say former student Audrey Hale, 28, was responsible for the horrific shooting and was slain by responding officers.
Officer Rex Englebert and Officer Michael Collazo confronted and shot and killed the person behind the Covenant School shooting. MNPD says they didn’t hesitate to enter the school. pic.twitter.com/CTorGQxqHr
— Jackie DelPilar FOX17 (@jsdelpilar) March 28, 2023
The Post said that Audrey Hale has subsequently been recognized as a transgender individual who used “he-him” pronouns and has begun using the name Aiden.
BREAKING: The deceased mass shooter of the Christian school in #Nashville has been identified as #trans person Audrey E. Hale. Three children & three staff were murdered. The shooting comes amid a surge in far-left death threats in Tennessee over the state https://t.co/gHQ6S0YSYd… pic.twitter.com/RbJyFe5xM9
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) March 27, 2023
According to The New York Times, law enforcement authorities stated that Hale drafted a “manifesto” before to the shooting.
The circumstances of the incident have prompted many to conclude that it was motivated by anti-Christian bias.
Many Christians and people of goodwill have extended their thoughts and condolences to the Scruggs family and all of the victims of the tragedy at Covenant School.
"Please pray for Covenant Presbyterian Church of Nashville, a PCA church where six people were slain today at their Christian school, and especially for Pastor Chad Scruggs, whose 9 year old daughter was one of the victims."
"Have mercy, O God, because of your steadfast love." pic.twitter.com/w4Jsfmxv40
— Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville, SC (@SPCGreenville) March 28, 2023
Jada Scruggs is Pastor Scruggs’s spouse. The couple has four children.