In the 911 recordings that the authorities released on Thursday, sirens, crying, and gunshots were heard in the background while the callers desperately asked for help. The recordings were from calls during the Nashville, Tennessee school shooting.
On Monday, March 27, multiple calls to 911 were made during the attack at The Covenant School in Nashville. Six people were killed – three nine-year-old children identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and Willam Kinney, and three adults, school head Katherine Koonce, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, and school custodian Mike Hill.
To avoid being heard by the assailant, teachers and school employees whispered during the calls while disturbing noises and alarms were heard in the background.
One of the callers, a teacher who had 17 students with her, shared that they heard “so many shots” outside. Another caller said that he was with a group of people and that they were walking away from the scene. Tension and confusion were clearly heard in his voice.
One caller described the suspect as someone holding an assault rifle. He also said that the assailant was shooting through the door and was dressed in camouflage and wearing a vest. A woman on the call said that she heard around 10 shots before she left the building.
Another caller said that the shooting started at around 10:13 a.m. and that there had been a pause in the gunshots. Soon after, one of the callers told the dispatcher to hurry, as she heard more shots in the building.
In another recording, a caller was heard telling people to stay low and to go under the bathroom sink. The caller also relayed the dispatcher’s instructions to those in the room. The last part of the recording was the caller telling 911 his wife’s location within the building.
Within 14 minutes of receiving the calls, officers were able to hunt down and shoot the suspect, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a former student of the school.
Nashville Mayor John Copper said that the officers’ quick response saved “many lives.”
A candlelight vigil was held on Wednesday. Among the participants were lawmakers, First Lady Jill Biden, and musicians, including singer Sheryl Crow.
The release of the recordings coincided with a protest at the Tennessee Capitol demanding that the Republican-led legislature make tougher gun laws.
