The Nashville police heroes who took out transgender shooter Audrey Hale, 28, at Covenant Presbyterian School on Monday, did so as she tried to reload after firing from a second-story window at cars below.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake also said at a news conference Tuesday that Hale demonstrated “some training in shooting from a higher level” and knew how to stay “away from glass so he wouldn’t be an easy target.”
In all, Hale shot and killed three children and three school employees.
The three murdered children were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. Also shot dead were Katherine Koonce, 60, the school’s principal; Mike Hill, 61, school janitor; and Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher.
The brave police officers who brought Hale down, entering the building without tactical armor, one armed only with a pistol, have been named as Officer Rex Engelbert and Officer Michael Collazo.
They were part of a five-man team that chased Hale through the building.
09:53 am – Hale arrives at The Covenant School in Nashville in a gray Honda Fit
09:53 am – Hale arrives at The Covenant School in Nashville in a gray Honda Fit
Hale’s gray Honda Fit is seen arriving at The Covenant School in Nashville.
Security cameras caught her driving into the nearly empty parking lot of the school and the adjacent Covenant Presbyterian Church.
Chief Drake said police are still investigating what led the killer to open fire Monday morning at the Presbyterian school where he used to study.
He said in an interview with NBC News that investigators believe the killer had “some resentment about having to go to that school.”
09:54 a.m.: Hale drives leisurely through the parking lot
Hale is seen driving through the parking lot, seemingly calm.
Nothing suggests anything is out of the ordinary when you find a parking space, driving past some parked cars.
10:10 a.m.: Hale opens fire and breaks the glass door of the church
The glass front doors, which were locked, shatter as Hale opens fire.
Pieces of glass fall to the floor as most of the two double doors are smashed by gunfire.
He then walks through the destroyed glass door frame, with rubble on the floor around him.
Hale then walks into the empty church reception, which is located next to the school.
09:54 a.m.: Hale drives leisurely through the parking lot
10:10 a.m.: Hale opens fire and breaks the glass door of the church
10:13 a.m.: First 911 call is made as killer stalks victims’ rooms
Brandishing his assault rifle, Hale is seen entering a carpeted room within the church, searching for victims.
The room appears empty, as Hale comes out again a short time after entering.
The first 911 call about gunshots in the building came at this time.
10:13 a.m.: First 911 call is made as killer stalks victims’ rooms
10:18 a.m. – Hale continues to search for victims through the doors
Hale is seen in the same chamber inside the church still searching for victims, turning left and right holding his rifle.
Open a door to the next room and go inside.
10:18 a.m. – Hale continues to search for victims through the doors
10:19 a.m. – 28-year-old continues to stalk rooms
Hale walks back through the door and takes aim with his gun, even though no one is there.
Hale looks around, aiming his rifle. Just 30 seconds later, he tries another door.
He walks through the door while aiming his gun.
10:19 a.m. – 28-year-old continues to stalk rooms
10:20 – Hale is in the main school, walks past reception and starts shooting.
Hale now walks through a wooden-floored building labeled “first” in the footage, past an empty reception desk.
She stalks down the corridor, then disappears from sight.
In the next four minutes with no footage, Hale shoots six people.
She shot and killed Principal Katherine Koonce in the hallway in a ‘murder’ style killing, as well as shooting church custodian Mike Hill and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak.
Hale also murdered three nine-year-old students; Hallie Scraggs, William Kinney, and Evelyn Dieckhaus.
Police do not believe any of the students were specifically targeted.
10:20 a.m.: Hale is in the main school, walks past reception, and starts shooting.
10:21 am – Police officers arrived to find a terrified woman outside the school and a man standing by a tree. The woman told them: ‘They are upstairs!’
Officers are shown making their way into the building.
10:21 am – The first police arrive on the scene and enter through the main doors of the school.
The beginning of the Nashville police video shows an officer removing a rifle from his trunk as a staff member tells him the school is closed but two children are missing.
‘Come on! I need three! the officer yells as he uses a key to open a door and enter the building, where alarms can be heard going off.
10:23 a.m.: Officers clear classrooms as they ascend to second floor toward Hale’s perched position
The video shows officers walking past bulletin boards and cubicles as they clean room after room.
10:24 a.m. – Officers come across what appears to be a deceased person as they approach Hale
As the officers reach the second floor, one says, “We’ve got one down,” before running down the hallway to confront the shooter.
The officers move quickly down the hall as intermittent gunshots are heard in the distance.
10:24 – Hale is shot dead
Metropolitan Nashville Police Officer Rex Englebert fired first with his rifle. He is shown, to the right, approaching the shooter yesterday.
Officer Michael Collazo, who was armed with a pistol, shot Hale four times. He then approached her body to strip it of the weapons and checked if she was still alive.
Seconds later, Officer Engelbert and Officer Collazo fire multiple rounds at the suspect. Video shows the assailant still moving on the ground as another officer repeatedly yells, ‘Hands off the gun!’
Earlier police statements said Hale had become involved with officers, but in the video, it does not appear that the shooter fired before he was killed.
Hale was standing in front of a large window in the atrium on the second floor of The Covenant School.
Police previously released surveillance footage showing the shooter arriving at the school and entering shooting through a glass door.
The suspect is seen stalking empty hallways as emergency lights flash, brandishing a rifle and entering rooms, apparently searching for people.
10:24 a.m. – Hale is shot and killed on the second floor of the school