Deanna DeHart: Michael Collazo's sister opens up about Audrey Hale and Nashville school shooting
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Deanna DeHart, the older sister of Michael Collazo, who along with his colleague Rex Engelbert, gunned down the Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale in Nashville, spoke about the tragedy and her brother's heroic actions.
She said her heart "shattered into a thousand pieces" when she learned about the attack that claimed the lives of three children and three staff members. Despite the heartbreaking nature of the incident, DeHart said that her brother and his colleagues' quick response "saved a lot of lives" and gave a moving tribute to the victims.
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'I knew my brother was brave'
She further said that Collazo is "doing as well as can be expected" and is aware of the support he has behind him. Speaking to NewsNation, DeHart said that Collazo and his fellow officers knew that "the world's watching" but that their primary concern was the families and children affected by the tragedy.
"I knew my brother was brave, it wasn't until I saw the [bodycam] video that I really processed how brave," DeHart said. "When we first found out, it was a weird feeling, our hearts shattered into a thousand pieces. We were very proud, but at the same time very sad that he had to go through what he did, that every one of those families and children had to go through what they did", she added.
'Law enforcement at its finest'
DeHart described the police response as "law enforcement at its finest" and that she was "proud," which she felt was an understatement. In the interview, DeHart wore a t-shirt with the words: 'A rock in bad hands killed Able [sic]. A rock in good hands killed Goliath. It's not about the rock,' which is a slogan used by gun rights activists in the aftermath of the attack.
When asked about the shirt, DeHart said, "It's not about my opinion really. We just want to keep this about Michael and the officers there and the families - lives were flipped upside down." The decisive response of Collazo, Engelbert, and their colleagues has been credited with saving lives. Law enforcement analyst Jonathan Wackrow said the officers who responded in Nashville showed "law enforcement at its finest."
'We were very proud, but at the same time very sad'
Nashville Mayor John Cooper praised the officers for "rushing into gunfire" and credited their quick response for averting an even greater tragedy. "We were very proud, but at the same time very sad that he had to go through what he did, that every one of those families and children had to go through what they did," said Cooper.
