Nashville school shooting – live: Evelyn Dieckhaus called ‘shining light’ as first funeral takes place
Shooter Audrey Hale’s manifesto is still to be released by Nashville police
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The funeral of Evelyn Dieckhaus, one of three nine-year-old children killed at the Covenant School shooting, took place on Friday afternoon in Nashville.
Evelyn was remembered as a “shining light” in the funeral, which was closed to the media, at the Woodmont Christian Church in the Green Hills neighbourhood of the city.
Before the service, the church’s senior minister, the Rev Clay Stauffer, described the youngster as “radiant.”
Evelyn was killed while leading her classmates to safety in response to a fire alarm seemingly tripped by the attacker, her family believes.
Services for substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Hallie Scruggs, nine, will be held on Saturday. Nine-year-old William Kinney's funeral will take place on Sunday, while services for Mike Hill, 61, the school’s custodian, will be held on Tuesday and the funeral for head of school Katherine Koonce, 60, will take place on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, police have released the chilling 911 calls they received from inside the Covenant School as the shooter – since identified by law enforcement as Audrey Hale, 28, a former student of the private Christian elementary school – broke into the building and opened fire.
A manifesto written by the suspect is soon expected to released by officers investigating the deadly attack.
Kevin McCarthy refuses to commit to gun control legislation
“There’s not one person in America who doesn’t want to try to solve all this,” the Speaker of the House said on Thursday when asked about the GOP’s plans to deal with mass shootings. “We want to make sure we’re taking all the information.”
And he added: “I would say to the nation as a whole that the problem that we [have] today, it’s not just going to be legislation. We’ve got to have a severe conversation here with this country. We’ve got to deal with mental illness.”
Mr McCarthy continued later, “I don’t think one piece of legislation solves this. I think a nation together, working together, solves a problem that’s much bigger than us.”
Lawmaker calls for ‘revival’ after Nashville shooting
A Tennessee lawmaker who said that gun violence cannot “be fixed” by politicians has now called for a “revival” in the wake of the Nashville shooting.
Congressman Tim Burchett made his latest comments on Fox News after being heavily criticised for his immediate comments after the Covenant School killings.
“As I’ve stated, we’re a sick nation,” he said. “We need to repent and, honestly, we need a revival. It’s made a lot of people mad that I’ve said that, but it really is. There’s no other answer for it.”
And he blamed the reaction to his comments on people not liking the “thoughts and prayers” response often given by Republicans after mass shootings in the US
“I think they come back to me and say, ‘Look what your prayers have done for us,’ and the people doing the praying aren’t the ones doing the shooting.”
Chilling 911 call captures terrified caller inside Nashville school during shooting 5tRvZl6s
Democrats criticise GOP over gun policies
‘We need to fight harder, scream louder’: Nashville youth at school shooting vigil share their anger
First lady Jill Biden and singer Sheryl Crow stood before hundreds in Nashville as mourners held candles, prayed and shared their frustration at yet another deadly school shooting on American soil, writes Sheila Flynn from Tennessee.
‘We need to fight harder, scream louder:’ Nashville youth share their anger at vigil
First lady Jill Biden and singer Sheryl Crow stood before hundreds in Nashville as mourners held candles, prayed and shared their frustration at yet another deadly school shooting on American soil, writes Sheila Flynn
Nashville shooting 911 calls capture terror inside school: ‘I’m hearing more shots, please hurry!’
Nashville authorities released the recordings on Thursday.
Nashville shooting 911 calls capture terror inside school
Nashville authorities released the recordings on Thursday
Protesters flood Tennessee capitol building to demand action from state lawmakers
AOC slams Marjorie Taylor Greene’s tweets over Nashville shooting
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has slammed fellow congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comments blaming gender-affirming care for Monday’s events in Nashville.
Almost immediately after the story broke, Ms Greene pointed to the shooter’s supposed gender identity in a series of tweets as malicious as they were illiterate.
“How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking,” the Georgia Republican tweeted. “Everyone can stop blaming guns now.”
Responding after a House vote on Monday evening, Ms Ocasio-Cortez justly slammed the remarks.
“It’s absolutely disgusting and she should be looking into a mirror as to why she’s defending and posing with the same weapons that are being used to kill children, teachers and educators,” she told The Independent.
Eric Garcia has more.
AOC slams Marjorie Taylor Greene’s transphobic tweets over Nashville shooting
Speaking to The Independent, the far-right Georgia congresswoman also seemed to suggest Jane Fonda's comments about anti-abortion activists could be linked to the tragedy
Funerals set for three of Nashville school shooting victims
Funeral arrangements were disclosed for one of the adults and two of the children who were killed in this week’s school shooting in Nashville, as the grieving city mourns the victims of the horrific attack that transformed what should have been a normal day of school on a bright, sunny morning into wrenching tragedy.
Heartbreaking new details continued to emerge about the lives of the three adults and three 9-year-old students who police say were killed during the shooting Monday at The Covenant School.
The children have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. Also killed were Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; Mike Hill, 61, a custodian; and Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher.
More on the funeral service for the victims in this report:
Funerals set for 3 of the Nashville school shooting victims
Funeral services have been set for an adult and two girls who were killed in this week’s school shooting in Nashville, as the grieving city mourns the victims of the horrific attack on what should have been a normal day of school