The Metro Nashville Police Department shared bodycam footage on Tuesday, showing two officers who entered Covenant School on Monday and stopped a shooter by shooting him. The video is very hard to watch.
The footage is from officers Rex Engelbert, who has been with the force for four years, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year veteran. They are both praised for stopping the suspect and ending the school shooting.
MNPD Officers Rex Engelbert, a 4-year veteran, and Michael Collazo, a 9-year veteran, were part of a team of first responders to the Covenant campus Mon morning. They fired on the active shooter, who was killed. This is their body camera footage. https://t.co/17qsZM6bNp pic.twitter.com/g4b0nMTFRD
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023
The clip starts with Engelbert getting out of his car and picking up his gear. He then gets an update on the school and the individuals inside from a woman whose identity is unclear.
After entering the locked school door, Engelbert and his group start to look around the school. They shout “Metro Police!” while moving through corridors and going into vacant rooms.
With the school’s alarm sounding loudly, shots can be heard in the background. “It sounds like it’s upstairs,” an officer can be heard saying.
An active shooter event has taken place at Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church, on Burton Hills Dr. The shooter was engaged by MNPD and is dead. Student reunification with parents is at Woodmont Baptist Church, 2100 Woodmont Blvd. pic.twitter.com/vO8p9cj3vx
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 27, 2023
The team hurries to an upper floor as the noise of gunshots grows more intense. Engelbert rapidly approaches a higher level lobby, where the assailant is located. After firing multiple shots, the attacker collapses.
Additional gunshots are heard, along with commands to “stop moving” and “keep your hand away from the weapon.” At last, someone exclaims “suspect down, suspect down!” The second video, recorded by Collazo’s body camera and verified by authorities, shows that the officer with 9 years of experience delivered the final shots.
The tragic school shooting that occurred on Monday was the 89th such incident on K-12 school grounds and the 129th mass shooting in 2023, as reported by the K-12 School Shooting Database and Gun Violence Archive. We mourn the victims, including three 9-year-olds, two teachers, and a school staff member.
Nashville Police have released the bodycam footage and it cannot be stressed enough how remarkable this response was. These men are absolute heroes. pic.twitter.com/aOT8IJyH04
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) March 28, 2023
We must also express our gratitude to the courageous officers who immediately responded to the scene. Their swift action prevented further harm. Officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo deserve recognition for their bravery.
The continued violence in schools is heartbreaking, causing both children and parents to live in fear. It is crucial to address this issue proactively to prevent more lives from being lost. Law enforcement plays a vital role in these situations, but the focus must shift to stopping these tragedies before they happen.
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