It’s ‘American Now’ time to deliver vivid American news.
Host) What news do you have today?
Reporter) Six people were killed in a shooting at a private elementary school in Nashville, southern United States. President Joe Biden has repeatedly urged Congress to pass gun control laws. President Biden signed an executive order restricting the use of commercial spyware that poses a national security risk.
Host) America Now, this is the first news. Another school shooting in the US?
Reporter) Yes. On the 27th, a shooting occurred at a Christian private elementary school in Tennessee in the southern United States, killing six people. The school where the shooting occurred is a Presbyterian private school called ‘Covenant School’. According to the school website, the Covenant School has about 200 students from kindergarten to sixth grade.
Host) Has the shooter been caught?
Reporter) The gunman was shot and killed by police who arrived at the scene. The shooter was identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a graduate of the school. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at a press conference on the 27th that Mr. Hale had carefully planned the crime in advance. He even drew a detailed map of the school, including the school entry point, and left a ‘declaration’ and several other notes stating his position regarding the shooting, saying that investigators are currently investigating.
Host) Was the motive for the crime revealed?
Reporter) Police said they are still investigating the motive for the crime. However, given that the suspect Hale is transgender, that is, a transgender woman, all factors are being investigated, including the possibility that it may be related to her gender identity. She was informed by Mr. Hale that she had no criminal history. Meanwhile, Chief Drake said in an interview with ‘NBC’ on the 27th that investigators believe the suspect “had resentment” about having to go to school.
Host) It is said that the suspect made a detailed plan in advance. What was the firearm used in the crime?
A spokesperson for the National Police Agency said the suspect was armed with two AR-15 style assault rifles and a handgun. Drake estimated that at least two of the guns in the suspect’s possession were purchased legally in the Nashville area.
Moderator) Can you summarize the circumstances of the incident?
Reporter) The first time the police received a call to report a shooting was at 10:13 am on the 27th. After receiving a report that a shooting had occurred at Covenant School, the police immediately arrived at the scene. After confirming that gunshots were heard on the second floor of the school, police said they shot the gun from the hallway and killed the shooter at around 10:27. According to the police, Mr. Hale broke into the side door on the first floor of the school and shot indiscriminately as he went up to the second floor of the school building. Other than the fatalities, no one was known to have been shot. In addition, after shooting the students, they evacuated to a church near the school and met their parents who ran to hear the news.
Moderator) The shooting occurred in an elementary school, so I wonder if there are young victims. Has the identity of the dead been confirmed?
Reporter) Yes, the police have released the identity of the deceased. Three of the six deaths were students at this school. All three are 9 years old. The 60-year-old school principal and two other school staff members in their 60s were also killed.
Moderator) How is the atmosphere in the local community?
Reporter) It was a big shock. Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted, “On this tragic morning, Nashville adds to a long and frightening list of communities that have experienced school shootings.” Federal senators and representatives from Tennessee also posted condolences to the victims and the community on Twitter.
Host) President Joe Biden also expressed his position regarding this shooting?
Reporter) Yes, President Biden condemned in a speech at the White House on the 27th, saying, “We must do more to stop gun violence,” and that “guns destroy our communities and tear our country’s soul.” . President Biden continued, “I repeatedly urge Congress to deal with the gun control law I submitted,” and emphasized that “now is the time for us to make progress.”
Moderator) President Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, thinks that guns should be regulated at the government level, right?
Reporter) That’s right. Democratic lawmakers, including President Biden, are arguing that stronger gun control laws are needed, including banning assault weapons and requiring stricter regulations on gun sales. However, with the House of Representatives dominated by Republicans, it is unlikely that a new bill will be enacted this year. White House spokeswoman Carine Jean-Pierre pointed out on the 27th, “How many more children must be sacrificed before Republican lawmakers pass an assault weapons ban.”
What is the response from the Republican Party?
Reporter) Conservative camps, including Republicans, view gun ownership as a right guaranteed by the Constitution. It is also the position that restricting guns does not prevent shootings. On the 27th, Gun Owners of America (GOA), a gun advocacy group, reiterated on Twitter that shootings can be prevented if staff and teachers are armed.
Host) In the United States, there are several cases where a shooting occurred in a school and shocked you, right?
Reporter) Yes. In May of last year, a shooting took place at Rob Elementary School in Euvaldi, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers. And earlier in 2018, 17 people were killed in a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida. In 2012, 26 people were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
A laptop user is typing. (data photo)
Host) American Now, let’s see the next news. Is the US government planning to restrict the use of commercial spyware?
Reporter) Yes. The use of commercial spyware by federal agencies that poses a national security risk or is associated with human rights violations is prohibited. President Joe Biden signed an executive order containing related content on the 27th.
Host) What is spyware?
Reporter) As the word ‘spy’ literally means, computer software that is used to access a device without the user’s knowledge and steal information or manipulate the device is called spyware. Countries around the world, including the United States, collect large amounts of data, including the communications records of their citizens, for security and law enforcement purposes. The proliferation of commercial spyware has given small countries in particular powerful intelligence-gathering tools.
Moderator) But why is the US trying to restrict commercial spyware like this?
Correspondent) Commercial spyware, while helping to gather information, is used in some countries as a tool to suppress human rights activists, journalists and dissidents. Therefore, the US government has taken steps to ban commercial spyware that enables human rights violations or is improperly used by foreign governments and others, as well as when it poses a national security risk.
Moderator) When the US government issued the executive order, did you also convey the government’s position?
Reporter) Yes, the White House said in a statement, “This executive order demonstrates the will and leadership of the United States to advance technological advances for democracy, including combating the misuse of commercial spyware and other surveillance technologies.”
Moderator) Is there a background for the administrative order to come out at this point?
Reporter) Yes, the administrative order came ahead of the second ‘Democracy Summit’ held online on the 29th and 30th. The conference was hosted by the United States, and Korea and other countries were included as co-hosts. The United States will hold a meeting on the second day of the conference, with the theme of advancing technology for democracy.
Host) Then, how will the government regulate commercial spyware?
Reporter) The Executive Order requires the head of a federal agency using a commercial program to certify that the program does not pose a significant counterintelligence or other security risk. However, White House officials said they would not publish a list of banned programs under the executive order.
Moderator) Have governments ever regulated commercial spyware?
Reporter) Yes, the US government blocked the company’s access to US parts and technology by putting the Israeli company ‘NSO Group’, which made the spyware ‘Pegasus’ in 2021, on the list of export restrictions. Pegasus was originally developed for the intelligence service to combat crime. However, it has been found to be used for illegal intelligence gathering in some countries. The White House said on the 27th that it believes 50 devices used by US officials in 10 countries have been compromised or targeted by commercial spyware.
Host) America Now, I will listen to this far for today.