Terror and grief once again unnerve the country and its schools after three adults and three children were killed Monday at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee.
The three children killed at The Covenant School in Nashville were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs. They were each 9 years old.
Hallie Scruggs is the daughter of Chad Scruggs, the current lead pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, who served for several years as associate pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas.
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Park Cities Presbyterian Church released a statement on its website Monday evening to confirm its ties to the Nashville church. The statement reads in part:
“The Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCPC) family is incredibly saddened by the unimaginable tragedy today at Covenant Presbyterian School in Nashville, TN. Covenant Presbyterian Church is a sister church of PCPC; many of our members have deep friendships and family connections there."
"We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie. Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need," the statement continued.
On Tuesday, PCPC will host a prayer service in the church’s Sanctuary to pray for the Scruggs family and the community in Nashville. The prayer service will take place at noon.
The three adults killed were 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, and 61-year-old Mike Hill.
Police said they believe the 28-year-old shooter, identified as Audrey Hale, was a former student at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001. Police shot and killed Hale, and investigators were later seen searching her Nashville-area home.
