On Monday, two Nashville police officers, Rex Engelbert, and Michael Collazo, responded to a grade school shooting with remarkable speed and efficiency, resulting in the death of the shooter within just three minutes of their arrival.
The Nashville police department has since released body camera footage of the incident, which shows Engelbert retrieving a rifle from his patrol car before directing his fellow officers to join him in pursuit of the perpetrator who had already taken the lives of three 9-year-old children and three adults at the Covenant School.
The officers’ swift and decisive response has garnered widespread praise, with a tweet from the Nashville police department identifying Engelbert and Collazo generating over 70,000 likes in just a few hours.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake lauded the officers’ actions, stating that he was “really impressed” with the way they took control of the situation and pursued the assailant.
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Engelbert, a four-year veteran of the force, and Collazo, who has been with the department for nine years and has special weapons training as a former paramedic with the SWAT team, demonstrated extraordinary bravery in their handling of the situation.
Their swift response stands in stark contrast to the actions of police in Uvalde, Texas, who waited more than an hour during a school shooting last May, resulting in the tragic deaths of 19 students and two adults.
Engelbert’s body camera footage captures him and other officers searching the school room by room, eventually locating the shooter by following the sound of gunfire. Engelbert was the first officer to fire, discharging four rounds that downed the shooter. Collazo quickly followed up with four more shots, urging the shooter to “stop moving.”
Both officers have been hailed as heroes, but Collazo expressed that he simply wants to spend time with his family. Nevertheless, their bravery and quick thinking are worthy of recognition and gratitude.
Their actions have undoubtedly saved lives and prevented the further tragedy, highlighting the crucial importance of well-trained and courageous law enforcement officers in our communities.
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