Rex Engelbart and Michael Collazo: Cops who killed Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale hailed as heroes
NASHVILLE, TENNESSE: The Nashville Metropolitan Police Department released photos of two officers who fatally shot the 28-year-old White transgender woman who killed six people, including three children at a private Christian elementary school on Monday, March 25. Audrey Hale entered The Covenant School shortly before 10 am in his Honda Fit and was killed by officers less than 15 minutes after open firing that killed six people.
A representative for the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department disclosed Monday night that Officers Rex Engelbart and Michael Collazo were part of the team that opened fire on Hale, killing him. Many people praised officials for responding quickly to the Covenant school killings, unlike Uvalde cops.
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Who were the cops who shot and killed Audrey Hale?
Officers Rex Engelbart and Michael Collazo were among those on the squad who opened fire on Hale, killing her. Collazo has been an MNPD veteran for nine years, while Engelbart has served for four years, as reported by Daily Mail. The pictures of the courageous cops have gone viral on social media, with many hailing them as "heroes."
How did they confront the shooter?
According to the police, when the officers heard gunfire coming from the second story, they rushed to The Covenant School, managed to enter, and cleared the structure. Hale killed nine-year-olds, Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and the pastor's daughter, Hallie Scruggs, before being taken down. Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher, Katherine Koonce, 60, and custodian Mike Hill, 61, were also slain. A team of officers, including Engelbart and Collazo, arrived at the second story where they came across Hale, who had been shooting through a window at the approaching law enforcement vehicles.
They ultimately shot the trans woman and killed him. "The first call to 911 about shots being fired in the building came in at 10.13 am. Officers rushed to the campus, made entry, and began clearing the building. Shots were heard coming from the second level. It was on the second floor, in a common area, that a team of officers encountered Hale shooting (she had been firing through a window at arriving police cars). Two members of an officer team fired on Hale and fatally wounded her," Chief Drake stated, reported Fox News.
'That’s what a hero looks like'
Social media users have been praising the brave police officers for their actions, and their pictures have been shared extensively. A Reddit user wrote, "How cops should respond. Honorable men." Further, a user commented, "These men are heroes did what needed to be done, no hesitating." Another person said, "That’s what a hero looks like. Some people will say they’re just doing their job but it takes some b***s to put your life at risk like this." One user mentioned, "We are actually celebrating cops acting like cops, good times we are living in." "Legends for taking that vile child killing women out god bless you both," noted one user.
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