A pastor released a brief but powerful statement after his 9-year-old daughter was identified as one of three students who were murdered in the Nashville Christian school shooting.

9-year-old Hallie Scruggs was killed in the assault on The Covenant School, a Christian elementary school, along with two other 9-year-old students and three adult staff members.

Her father Chad Scruggs, the senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, released a statement to reporters Tuesday morning.

"We are heartbroken. She was such a gift," Scruggs said in the statement.

"Through tears we trust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again," he added.

Prior to working a the Presbyterian church in Nashville, Scruggs had worked as the associate pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.

The head pastor of the church in Dallas also confirmed in a statement that the pastor's daughter had died.

"We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie," said Pastor Mark Davis. "Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need."

Police officers were able to respond quickly to the shooting and gun down the assailant, who was identified as a 28-year-old woman from Nashville who had previously attended the school. Media outlets have scrambled to correct their reporting after it was discovered that the assailant listed preferred pronouns of "he" and "him" on LinkedIn.

Pastor Davis told KDFW-TV about his conversation with Scruggs over the phone after the shooting.

"What you saw was just incredible brokenness, such sorry, but also incredible faith that the Gospel that they preach, they really believe in the truth of who Christ is, and how they're resting in Him," said Davis.

Nashville school shooting victim is former Dallas pastor's daughterwww.youtube.com

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