ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — U.S. flags are being flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the recent Nashville school shooting where 6 people, including 3 children, were killed.
The White House released a briefing on Monday that declared all flags nationwide on federal buildings and grounds be flown at half-staff until sunset on March 31 to honor the victims.
The victims included three 9-year-old children: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, and staff members Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.
The website of The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001, lists a Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. Her LinkedIn profile says she has led the school since July 2016. Peak was a substitute teacher and Hill was a custodian, according to investigators.
President Joe Biden called on Congress again to pass legislation banning assault-style weapons, saying schools need more protection from gun violence that is "ripping at the very soul of the nation."
"It’s heartbreaking, a family’s worst nightmare," he said Monday afternoon, speaking at a scheduled White House event for female business owners. "I want to commend the police who responded incredibly swiftly, within minutes in the danger ... I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time that we started to make some more progress."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
