(CNSNews.com) -- In response to the horrific shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., which killed three children and three adults, Sen. josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a resolution on Tuesday calling on the Senate to recognize the tragedy as a "hate crime targeting Christians."

Police in Nashville identified the shooter as Audrey Hale, a transgender "man" (biological female), who entered the Christian school on March 27 and fatally shot six people. Hale was also killed by police in the school.

"This murderous rampage, this taking of innocent life, was a horrific crime. But more specifically, it was a hate crime," said Senator Hawley in a March 28 statement. "It is a crime under federal law to target and commit acts of violence against Americans because of their religious beliefs, because of their religious affiliation, or because of their religious practices."

"This should not happen in the United States of America, and now we must act to see that it does not spread," he added.

The resolution introduced by Sen. Hawley on Tuesday leads with the sentence, "Condemning the horrific school shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, as a hate crime, and recognizing the victims and expressing condolences to their families."

It then states that on March 27, 2023, a "deranged individual tragically and violently opened fire at The Covenant School, a religious institution in Nashville, Tennessee, that is part of the Covenant Presbyterian Church."

It then names the six victims: the young students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, and the school employees Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Michael Hill.

The resolution then recounts that federal law "explicitly prohibits violence against people of the United States on the basis of religious affiliation or belief" and that "this reprehensible act of violence targeted a Christian institution, its students, and its employees."

It then concludes, "Whereas the Senate recognizes that the United States must continue to work to prevent hate crimes, protect religious liberties, and ensure the safety and security of all people of the United States: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the Senate— 

"(1) strongly condemns the horrific act of violence that occurred at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 27, 2023, and recognizes it as a hate crime targeting Christians; 

and "(2) honors the memory of the victims, Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Michael Hill, and extends its heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and the entire community of The Covenant School."

Also on March 28, Sen. Hawley sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging them to open a hate crime investigation into the shooting at The Covenant School.

"Federal law explicitly criminalizes acts of violence against individuals based on religious affiliation as hate crimes," wrote Hawley.  "To be exact, the federal hate crime statute, 18 U.S.C. § 249(a)(1), bars 'willfully caus[ing] bodily injury to any person . . . because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person.'"

"I urge you to immediately open an investigation into this shooting as a federal hate crime," said the senator. "The full resources of the federal government must be brought to bear to determine how this crime occurred, and who may have influenced the deranged shooter to carry out these horrific crimes. Hate that leads to violence must be condemned. And hate crimes must be prosecuted."