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Hallie Scruggs: Nashville pastor and family mourn death of his daughter, 9, in horrific school shooting

Hallie Scruggs, a 9-year-old girl who was killed in the school shooting, was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, a senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: One of the six people who were shot and killed inside a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday, March 27, 2023, was a little girl named Hallie Scruggs, who was the daughter of a local pastor. Several individuals on the internet have been heartbroken by Hallie's death, calling it a dark day in America and expressing the need for change.

Audrey Hale, 28, shot and killed the young girl and two other 9-year-olds at the Covenant School in Nashville. The other two deceased students were identified by the authorities as Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney. All three children were pronounced dead upon arrival at the Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Three other adult workers, including the custodian Mike Hill, Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher, both 61 and Katherine Koonce, the head of staff at the school, 60, were also killed. Two MNPD officers engaged Hale after hearing gunfire and fatally shooting him.

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Who was Hallie Scruggs?

Hallie Scruggs, a 9-year-old girl who was one of the three children killed in the horrible school shooting, was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, a senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, the church confirmed to CBS News. The Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, disclosed to WFAA that Chad was also a previous associate pastor there.

Chad worked as the associate pastor at the Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas for almost six years. Hallie was the youngest of Chad and his wife Jada's four children. Mark Davis, a senior pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian, told WFAA that he spoke with Chad for approximately 20 minutes on Monday, March 27, just hours after his daughter had been killed.

"We really love each other," Davis stated, as he described the conversation as one between brothers. He continued that he could distinguish a wonderful emotion of despair and a strong sense of faith in Chad's voice. He stated, "I 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."

'The US needs to take action NOW!'

The heartbreaking tragedy that claimed the life of 9-year-old Hailee has received a lot of responses on Twitter, with one user writing, "God bless you all. I'm sorry for this tragic day. Thank you Law Enforcement for stopping this as quickly as you did. I know your hearts are heavy."

Another person wrote, "The assault on young children and staff is horrifying and egregious. It's time to make a change and not just spin around in the usual cycle and wait for another shooting. The US needs to take action NOW!" 

Another person wrote, "Heartbreaking. I do believe that there is a place reserved for those who did this and allowed this to happen, and those who would applaud this. Hallie is in the arms of Jesus as we mourn her loss. God bless her family, loved ones, and friends." 

"That crushes my soul..I would be a mad man if that happened to my angel," another person wrote. "I have a daughter that age that is a special kind of evil to harm any little angel," one person said.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.