Nashville School Shooting: Joe Biden Reacts to Tennessee Horror

Biden urged Congress to approve a weapons ban after the fatal shootings at a school in Nashville, Tennessee
The president emphasized the significance of mental health
A woman opened fire at a private Christian school in Nashville, killing six people

On Monday, when a 28-year-old woman fatally shot three kids and three teachers at a Christian private school in Nashville, President Joe Biden asked the media not to disregard the mental health of those who survived the tragedy.

During a speech at a White House conference for small business owners, the president drew parallels to Iraq war veterans suffering from PTSD.

Biden Reacts to Nashville School Shooting Incident

According to authorities, a female shooter brandishing two "assault-style" rifles and a handgun murdered three students and three adults at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school for around 200 preschools through sixth-grade students.

The suspect, whose age and gender remain unknown, died after being shot by police in response to the violence. According to the police, she formerly attended the school. Fox News reports that Biden referred to the incident as "sick" and "heartbreaking."

Biden urged Congress to adopt a ban on assault weapons similar to the one he helped pass in 1994. This statute imposed a 10-year prohibition on the production, transfer, and ownership of "semiautomatic assault weapons" (SAWs) and "high capacity ammunition feeding systems." It officially ended on September 13, 2004.

The attack on Monday comes as towns throughout the country are grieving from a string of school violence, including the slaughter at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last year; a first-grader who shot his teacher in Virginia; and a shooting that injured two administrators in Denver last week.

With a split Congress where Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate, President Joe Biden's proposal to establish a ban on assault weapons faces a difficult uphill road. After the Uvalde school shooting last year, it was difficult for lawmakers to modify the nation's gun laws, even with a Democratic supermajority.

Per USA Today, Democrats are asking for action with the president. According to the Gun Violence Archive, Monday's shooting in Nashville was the 129th mass shooting in the United States thus far this year.

Nashville School Shooting Victims

In the Nashville school shooting, three kids were killed: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. According to authorities, they were all nine years old. Mike Hill, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Cynthia Peak, 61, from employees of Covenant School, were slain.

According to sources, the woman entered the school through a side door at 10:13 a.m. On the second floor, she opened fire with two assault-style rifles and a pistol. The 200-student private school was launched in 2011. It is not thought to have armed security.

Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, stated that he closely followed the tragic situation at Covenant and requested that people "join us in praying for the school, congregation, and Nashville community."

According to The Guardian, John Cooper, mayor of Nashville, stated that his "heart goes out to the families of the victims."

"In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting," he continued.

A police officer expressed sympathy as parents hurried to get their children from a neighboring church. The officer was overheard telling parents, "I know this is probably the worst day of everyone's lives," the officer was heard to tell parents. "I can't tell you how sympathetic we are."