NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A shooting at Covenant School in Nashville Monday morning was highly unusual for multiple reasons, including that it happened at a private school.
In a study conducted by the Cato Institute, researchers found that about 94% of school shootings that occurred in the United States from 2000 to 2018 occurred in public schools, while only about 6% occurred in private schools.
Metro Nashville police said they were called to the private Christian school at 33 Burton Hills Boulevard just after 10 a.m. after a 28-year-old transgender man armed with two rifles and a handgun entered through a side entrance. She then reportedly went to the second floor and fired multiple shots.
Three children and three adults were killed. The shooter was also shot and killed by officers on scene.
Authorities have not yet given a motive for the shooting though they have said the attack is believed to be targetted.
According to the Cato Institute, school size has long been thought to be a factor in school shootings as data suggests that private schools are typically less likely to experience problems such as student fighting, bullying and weapon possession.
However, researchers also noted that there are many more public schools than private schools.
From 2000 to 2018, researchers compiled information on 134 school shootings that occurred on or near a K-12 school campus while students were present. Only eight of those incidents occurred in private schools, while 122 were reported at public schools.