UPDATE: Metro Nashville Police have released footage from Monday's mass shooting at The Covenant School.
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This latest mass shooting has brought school security back into the spotlight.
Monday we spoke to parents and officials who feel security for Chattanooga private schools should be a big focus moving forward.
The Metro Nashville Police Department identified the shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a Nashville resident. The chief said Hale identifies as a transgender woman.
Chief John Drake says Hale was once a student at Covenant School where the shooting happened.
"What if it had been here? Because it can happen anywhere these days," says Jamie Colbert.
What should have been another day of learning...
Broadcastify: "Be advised. Stay out of the general area of Burton Hills Road, Hillsboro Pike confirmed active shooter."
Turned into a nightmare for Nashville families.
Broadcastify: "It sounds like there's multiple victims down inside the school, shooter is down now as well."
The heartbreak felt all the way from Chattanooga.
"To think about what those parents go through is unfathomable," says Camille Sommer.
Camille Sommer is a parent of 3, each attending private school in Chattanooga.
"My children are 6, 10, and 12, you know, we've had over 100, mass shootings this year alone. So this is the conversation that we have to have," says Sommer.
In June of 2022, Governor Bill Lee included private schools in his executive order for school safety.
"I would say that there is a lot more focus on public schools than there is private schools," says Colbert.
Something Pastor Jamie Colbert is looking to change for Calvary Christian School after hearing the news.
"In light of what has happened today, I've already told our staff we're going to get a law enforcement officer involved and get us some more thorough training on how to recognize things like this," says Colbert.
Pastor Colbert says if they see someone that's questionable, they have a couple of code words that they use: one for suspicious behavior and one for an intruder who has penetrated the building.
He says those would be immediately sent in a text to staff by the one that saw it.
Depending on the situation, Colbert says teachers know whether they need to try to evacuate and if law enforcement should be notified.
"Our teachers and students know to exit out the back and go take shelter," says Colbert. "Our teachers, they're doing everything within their power to keep the kids safe."
But even with safety measures in place, one question remains.
"How many people have to die for there to be significant reform?" says Sommer.
Sommer believes there needs to be significant reform in terms of being able to access guns, deeper background and gun checks, safety measures, the ability to obtain guns and identifying and helping those with mental illness.
"Government officials seem to be more concerned about money and lobbying than the safety of our children," says Sommer. "And it's important to understand that our children's lives are not political."
We reached out to Mac Hardy, Director of Operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers about school safety:
"For safety reasons, schools have many exterior doors that facilitate escape during fires. This safety feature becomes a liability if those doors don’t prevent unauthorized entry to the school. Every exterior door that is not a controlled entrance must therefore be locked at all times. Faculty, staff and students must be trained to never open such a door from the inside for anyone. Such doors should be monitored so that school security staff receive immediate notification of any unauthorized opening of these doors.
Another essential safety measure is a carefully selected, specifically trained school resource officer (SRO) – a sworn police officer assigned to the school. In the case of attacks from outside, an SRO can prevent, or at least limit death and injury by being the first to respond, often minutes before patrol officers can arrive. Those minutes can save lives. All schools can benefit from a carefully selected, specifically trained SRO, including elementary schools and private schools.
The safety measures that protect public schools are just as appropriate for private schools. As we saw today in Nashville's tragic incident, being private does not protect a school from attack."
The Tennessee Association of Independent Schools released a statement about Monday's shooting:
"The Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS) supports The Covenant School during this time of tragedy. The Covenant School is a longstanding TAIS member, and our network of schools is grieving with their community at this time. TAIS’s work is to provide resources, advocacy, and continuing education for our members, helping schools best address the most pressing issues facing schools. Regrettably, school security has become one of these issues. Mitigating violence on school campuses is a complex, multi-faceted task. TAIS continues to provide education about security and safety through our partnerships with organizations that specialize in security consulting and solutions for schools.
We recognize that TAIS’s strength lies in our connections and thought partnership amongst our member schools. One of the many benefits of our organization is the network of school leaders who share resources to prioritize the wellbeing of students and support each other in the face of tragedy."
We also reached out to Mac Hardy, the Director of Operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers with several questions. Read our questions and his full responses below:
Q: Can you elaborate on school safety measures and what protocols should be taken during active shooter situations?
A: For safety reasons, schools have many exterior doors that facilitate escape during fires. This safety feature becomes a liability if those doors don’t prevent unauthorized entry to the school. Every exterior door that is not a controlled entrance must therefore be locked at all times. Faculty, staff and students must be trained to never open such a door from the inside for anyone. Such doors should be monitored so that school security staff receive immediate notification of any unauthorized opening of these doors.
Another essential safety measure is a carefully selected, specifically trained school resource officer (SRO) – a sworn police officer assigned to the school. In the case of attacks from outside, an SRO can prevent, or at least limit death and injury by being the first to respond, often minutes before patrol officers can arrive. Those minutes can save lives. All schools can benefit from a carefully selected, specifically trained SRO, including elementary schools and private schools.
SROs play an important role in helping schools develop plans for emergencies such as active shooters. Such plans must instruct students, faculty and staff to hide in locked rooms, out of sight of anyone in a hallway. They should direct the SRO to move directly to the sound of the gunfire while requesting patrol officer assistance via radio. Plans should direct the SRO to take action immediately to end the incident and then provide first aid to any injured persons while communicating needs to responding agencies. Emergency plans should also describe how people will be released from the locked rooms in which they hid and a controlled reunification process through which students are released to families after the incident. Families must be informed of such plans at least annually, as should emergency responders in the area of the school.
Q: Do these protocols differ from school to school?
A: While the details of protocols may differ from school to school, they should all include the basic concepts described above.
Q: Difference in school safety measures from public school and private school?
A: The safety measures that protect public schools are just as appropriate for private schools. As we saw today in Nashville's tragic incident, being private does not protect a school from attack.
Q: What is the most important thing to remember in these situations?
A: The most important thing to remember in these situations is the school’s emergency plan and the necessity of adhering to it. It is also important to remain calm as possible. And it’s important for parents to follow the published reunification plan and avoid rushing to the school, where they can create traffic problems that hinder emergency response.