NRA Says Nashville Shooting Proves More Guns Needed in Schools

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has reacted to a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, which left six people dead on Monday, by claiming enhanced school security acted as a "deterrent" for such crimes.

In its only social media post since the tragic incident, the gun lobby organization pointed to a police statement that the shooter had considered targeting another location to the one they settled on, but had chosen not to do so as it had "too much security."

Proponents of gun control often cite school shootings among emotive examples of the need for greater restrictions, while gun advocates have previously stressed the need for armed security in public institutions to counter the possibility of such attacks while maintaining the constitutional right to bear arms.

In response to a mass shooting in Florida in 2018, the NRA backed calls from then-President Donald Trump to arm teachers, with CEO Wayne LaPierre telling the Conservative Political Action Conference: "To stop a bad guy with a gun, it takes a good guy with a gun."

In a statement on Monday, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said officers had been called to the Covenant School, a private Christian institution, to the southwest of the city, at around 10:13 a.m. local time (11:13 a.m. ET) following reports of shots being fired in the building.

Officers encountered the suspect on the second floor of the school, where they fatally shot the assailant. The force identified the shooter as 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who had previously attended the school, and had arrived that day with three guns including two assault weapons.

Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs, all aged nine, were killed during the incident, along with the Head of School, Katherine Koonce, 60, Mike Hill, 61, and Cynthia Peak, 61. Officers identified Hill as a janitor and Peak as a substitute teacher, according to the Associated Press.

Nashville police said that writings it had recovered showed that the attack "was calculated and planned," and a search of Hale's home had found two more guns and "other evidence."

In a video reposted by the NRA, speaking to reporters, Nashville's Chief of Police John Drake said that Covenant was "the only school that was targeted," but added: "There was another location that was mentioned, but because of a threat assessment by the suspect [that there was] too much security, they decided not to."

Drake did not disclose further details of the other location apart from that it was also in Nashville, and said an investigation was ongoing.

"School security is a deterrent," the NRA wrote in response. "It's time to prioritize school security and safeguard our children."

While some users agreed with the NRA's statement, others argued it was an intervention that had been made in bad taste.

"If you are looking for an organization that lacks integrity, and is unwilling to put the safety of our children first—you've come to the right place," Joseph Sakran, an activist and trauma surgeon who began his career after being shot in the neck aged 17, reacted.

"The shooter shot through locked outside doors to gain access to the school!" Janine Kube, who describes herself as a high school science teacher, wrote. "DO NOT BLAME THIS ON THE SCHOOL'S SECURITY."

However, another user said the NRA's comment "actually makes sense," while Washington Gun Law, a legal firm that promotes responsible gun ownership, said: "You mean secured schools are safer schools, huh."

A 2019 report analyzing targeted school violence by the Secret Service found that many of the schools that "experienced these tragedies had implemented physical security measures (e.g., cameras, school resource officers, lockdown procedures)." It added: "Prevention is key."

Newsweek reached out to the NRA for comment via email on Tuesday.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, the incident in Nashville was the 129th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2023. Video footage released by the police showed Hale using a gun to gain entry by smashing the glass in a door, and recovered a manifesto which included details of Hale's plan.

Drake told reporters that Hale identified as transgender, and said officers were investigating whether Hale's gender identity was related to the crime, but could not comment yet on an exact motive.