Covenant School in Nashville has:
* 42 faculty and administrative employees
* approx 200 students
* _____ unknown number of custodial and kitchen employees. (I would estimate 12)
10:11am Shooter enters the school by shooting out the glass
2” School goes into emergency evacuation procedures saving HUNDREDS of lives, the danger alert system is set off with flashing lights and sirens all over the building and 911 call made.
10:13am Call received by 911.
12” approx 260 people evacuated out of the building. (197 students and about 60 adult faculty, staff and administrators rushed to safety using set protocols. Adults were stationed near every other entrances so as to facilitate getting police in the building and aware of what was ‘known’.)
* What was known in these 12” is that two students were unaccounted for (it ended up being 3), and that the vast majority of people had been removed to safety.
10:25am Police descend on the campus. A unit gained entry immediately going through TEXTBOOK procedures to find the shooter.
10:26am Two Officers find the shooter who was firing on police in the parking lot, turned around and fired on them. She was shot 4 times and went down, but was still holding a firearm.
10:27am Orders were given to push her firearms away - she didn’t - she was shot 4 more times - she died.
Whether we like it or not we are in a ‘time passing’ reality. To have police surround the school and an entire unit gain entry in less than 12” is admirable. The very fact that the shooter was dead in less than 2” from that point is astounding and absolutely worth gratitude. Of course it would have been better to have had an armed guard with the authority and ability to “shoot to kill” such an assailant. Maybe going forward schools will understand that and hire such folks, and maybe going forward municipal policing will assign an armed officer to be on campus at every school private or public that can take decisive and fatal action - which presumably would have happened when the 28 year old woman shot out the locked doors.
There is absolutely no good reason for a mental ill person to be able to purchase 7 weapons and absolutely no good reason for ANYONE at ANYTIME in ANY WAY to purchase assault style weapons. I haven’t done an in-depth ‘hours long’ research but here is what 30” uncovered:
She had three high capacity / high velocity firearms with her including
1. Kel Tec Sub 2000 with an extended magazine giving her 50 rounds
2. Grunt III (AR15 style) with an extended magazine giving her about 30 rounds
3. M & P 9mm with an 8 round clip and possible a 9th round already preloaded
Folks that is 88 rounds of high velocity fire power in the hands of a 28 year old mentally ill person with a vendetta we really don’t understand yet. I suspect that all rounds were full metal jacket and possibly hollow point so as to inflict the greatest harm possible with each hit.
She was wearing an assault vest presumably with additional loaded magazines.
It is miraculous that a whole lot more people did not lose their lives, but that is due primarily to EXCELLENT emergency protocols and them being carried out quickly.
My hope is that the Federal government will act and put a stop to the ease of which firearms are purchased stopping the sale with no paperwork or background check at gun shows and a sweeping way to do better with gun sale protocols. It’s not you or me - I had purchase permits for my gun. I went through the 30 day wait while the Sheriff did a background check.
This has to stop. EVERY school needs an armed guard ready and willing to shoot and kill an assailant period ! Obviously immediate deadly action when someone shoots their way through locked glass doors. EVERY state must enact RED FLAG LAWS immediately.
I don’t have the answers, but I do know what was done right. I happen to be a certified FEMA Active Shooter Educator. I completed my training at the request of COA on June 17, 2015. I know because while I was in training when those precious church folk in Charleston, SC were slaughtered. I learned this after the training and getting home that night.
EVERY educator, EVERY school employee college, grade school, private and public should be required to do this training and then demand the safety protocols from their institutions. I did, and I was the focus of many jokes because I did it. But ALL of my students knew the safety plan in every class whether a one day class or a 12 week class. And I was prepared. I had my own window screen papers to tape up, I insisted that my door be locked BEFORE class so that nobody could enter and I would have to let them in one student at a time checking their ID and making sure they were on the roster.
The three firearms recovered at the school cumulatively cost around $2,500. Reports say that she owned an additional 4.
I got my information from the Nashville Metropolitan Police website, www.thecovenant school.com (before it was taken down), various firearm blogs and retailers proudly selling these assault weapons, Reuters, PBS and manufacturing companies that made these high capacity killing tools.
Until our hearts change and our laws become more protective of the innocent we will see escalation not cessation. It’s sad really.
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