DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News ) – The deadly school shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee has a North Texas tie.
One of the six victims, 9-year-old Hallie Scruggs, is the daughter of a former pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas.
Chad Scruggs was the associate pastor at the church before becoming a pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
Hallie was the youngest of Chad and his wife Jada’s four children.
Park Cities Presbyterian Senior Pastor Mark Davis told our media partner WFAA TV that he talked to chad after Hallie’s tragic death.
“I just listened to him lament. I listened to him also say ‘We know she’s in the arms of Christ and we know He loves her more than we did. There is a remarkable sense of despair. How did this happen…and yet, such faith,” he said.
Pastor Davis said he and Chad spoke for about twenty minutes about who Hallie was.
“He talked about Hallie. He was like she’s a leader…she just was probably one of the first up. She’s gonna lead the way. Just this radiant life in her which is Christ,” he said.
Authorities identified the all of the victims of the shooting in addition to Hallie, as Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, all 8 or 9 years old, and 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 61-year-old Mike Hill and 60-year-old Katherine Koonce.
Investigators said the suspect, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, identifies as a transgender man and was also a former student at the school.
Police said Hale had drawn a detailed map of the school, probably had cased the property on site before the massacre and was heavily armed when she went into the building.
“We know that she was armed with at least two assault type rifles and a handgun,” said Nashville Police Department Public Affairs Director Don Aaron. Investigators said she also left a manifesto.
Hale was killed in a police shootout at the scene.
The church has asked the community to join them in prayer for the Sanctuary for Covenant Presbyterian Church at 12 p.m. on Tuesday.
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