A school shooting survivor has issued a desperate plea in front of reporters, following another school mass shooting in the United States that killed three nine year old children and three staff members.
Ashbey Beasley, a Highland Park, Illinois shooting survivor, was captured on footage addressing reporters at a press conference near the school in Nashville, Tennessee, following the shooting on Monday morning.
“Aren’t you guys tired of covering this?” she said. “Aren’t you guys tired of being here and having to cover all these mass shootings? How is this still happening? How are our children still dying and why are we failing them? “These mass shootings will continue to happen until our lawmakers step up and pass gun safety legislation.”
When police entered the small Christian school, two offerers shot and killed the shooter, who was reported to be a 28 year old woman.
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department police chief, John Drake, the assailant was “at one point a student” at the Covenant School, a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church founded in 2001 which caters to 200 Pre-K-Year 6 students, according to the school’s website.
Chief Drake said the shooter entered the building armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun, firing through the first and second floors.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department have publicly released the names of the victims, including three nine-year old victims, a substitute teacher, a custodian, and the school’s principal, Dr. Katherine Koonce.
Shortly after news of the shooting spread, US President Joe Biden was at a small-business event at the White House when he addressed the tragedy.
Biden described the latest shootings as “sick” and “a family’s worst nightmare,” before urging, once again, for Congress to establish gun-control legislation.
“The shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol,” Biden said, referring to reports made by Chief Drake’s department.
“So I call on Congress, again, to pass my assault weapons ban. It’s about time that we begin to make some progress.”
Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted his dismay, saying “Another horrific shooting at a school. Another unspeakable tragedy. It’s an utter disgrace that children in America today are going to school afraid of being shot and killed. We can’t allow this epidemic of gun violence to continue. How many more have to die before Congress acts?”
White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre spoke at a news briefing on Monday, revealing that there were no plans for Biden to address congressional Republicans directly on the issue of gun safety legislation.
“The president calls on Congress to do something before another child is senselessly killed in another act of gun violence,” Jean-Pierre said. “He also believe it’s not enough. We must do more. And he wants Congress to act, because enough is enough.”
According to the nonprofit research group, Gun Violence Archive, the number of mass shootings in the U. S has surpassed 100 since the beginning of 2023. In 2022, a total of 647 people were murdered in mass shootings across the country.
According to CNN data, the latest shooting in Nashville is the 19th shooting at a school or university since the beginning of the year where at least one person was injured.