Some protesters inside the Tennessee State Capitol counted transgender shooter Audrey Hale among the victims during a moment of silence.
Protesters in the capitol held a moment of silence for those who lost their lives at Nashville’s Covenant Academy, but some disagreed on exactly how many victims there were.
While some protesters held up six fingers, commemorating the three children and three adults whose lives were taken at the horrific school shooting, others held up seven fingers, counting transgender shooter Audrey Hale among the victims.
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One protester remarked “Every death is a tragedy y’all. It’s seven lives.” Another protester commented, “I’d say there were seven victims.” Hale was stopped by two heroic Metro Nashville Police Department officers, Micahel Collazo and Rex Engelbert. Officials have yet to release Hale’s manifesto.
The demonstration became unruly when three young protesters linked arms and blocked a legislator inside a bathroom, preventing him from returning to the chamber. The protesters were moved by Tennessee State Troopers.
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Footage captured by Breitbart News moments before shows the legislator being escorted to the restroom by troopers as the anti-gun protesters screamed at him.
Spencer Lindquist / Breitbart News
As some protesters commemorate the death of the shooter, various media outlets have begun to portray Hale in a sympathetic light or have taken precautions to make sure they have not “misgendered” her.
The Daily Mail wrote that Hale had been rejected by her Christian family, writing, “Twenty years later, after being rejected by her Christian family when she came out to them as gay, Hale had turned into a killer.”
Meanwhile, The New York Times posted a tweet reading:
”There was confusion later on Monday about the gender identity of the assailant in the Nashville shooting. Officials had used “she” and “her” to refer to the suspect, who, according to a social media post and a LinkedIn profile, appeared to identify as a man in recent months.”
Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at [email protected]
