A Christian school that 'celebrates childhood' becomes killing scene in Nashville

"Great job, boys," a community member wrote.

For Megan Hill, the day's agony unfolded over six long hours, marked by posts on Facebook in which she identified herself as the niece of one of the victims.

"Shooting at the school where my Dad, my uncle and my stepmom work please pray right now," she wrote at about noon local time.

Six hours later, she posted an update.

"I’m just in shock and disbelief," wrote Hill, who did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters. "My heart is broken I do not understand why someone would shoot up a school with precious babies inside."

"My uncle lost his life in this shooting today," she wrote. "My moms brother Lord help me and my family please pray for all my cousins."

The school is affiliated with Covenant Presbyterian Church, part of an evangelical movement that branched off from the more liberal Presbyterian Church in 1981. It offers enrichment classes in art, science and technology, leadership and music.

The school's motto is "intentionality, authenticity, curiosity," according to its website, which is filled with video images of smiling students singing, dancing and tumbling in a gymnasium. Its focus, the website says, is on "shepherding hearts, empowering minds and celebrating childhood."

Classes are small, with an average size of 12 students, about a quarter of whom receive financial aid, the website says. Tuition starts at $11,500 per year for kindergarten and rises to $16,500 for fifth and sixth grade.