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Former FBI agent praises officers responding to school shooting

Retired FBI agent Scott Augenbaum said those officers "should be very proud of how they worked together."
Former FBI agent praises officers responding to school shooting
Posted at 9:15 AM, Mar 29, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-29 09:15:00-04

Following the release of bodycam video showing the speed with which Metro Nashville Police officers entered The Covenant School to engage the active shooter on Monday, retired FBI agent Scott Augenbaum said those officers "should be very proud of how they worked together."

"They didn't have an opportunity to call their families and say, 'I'm putting my life on the line,'" Augenbaum said.

Instead, officers entered into the building as a team, shooting and killing the shooter less than four minutes after arriving on scene.

"I mean, that was picture perfect on how they worked together," Augenbaum said.

Augenbaum says the bodycam video will likely be used as training for other agencies in dealing with active shooter situations.

SEE MORE: The sharp contrast between responses to Uvalde and Nashville shootings

The responding officers also earned praise from the White House. President Joe Biden said he spoke with Nashville Police Chief John Drake and Officers Michael Collazo and Rex Engelbert. The House House said Biden thanked them for their "bravery and quick response to the shooting" at The Covenant School.

Bodycam footage from Englebert showed him entering the school about one minute after arriving. He and a group of officers are seen clearing each room. As a team of officers cleared rooms, the sound of gunshots could be heard coming from upstairs. The officers rushed up a flight of stairs and encountered the shooter.

About two minutes after entering the school, it appeared officers fired multiple rounds at the 28-year-old suspect. 

The shooter killed three adults and three students during Monday's attack.

This article was written by Jason Lamb for Scripps News Nashville.