CHICAGO (WLS) — One of the top Nashville officers who took down the school shooter was from Chicago, ABC7 I-Team learned.
Nashville officer Rex Engelbert, who grew up in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, was praised by one police organization for showing “courage in the face of crime.”
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Officer Engelbert attended the Queen of All Saints School in Sauganash. The Archdiocese of Chicago shared a statement from this school: Nashville cop hero Rex Engelbert is a 2010 graduate of Queen of All Saints in Chicago's northwest side. We are proud of Officer Engelbert's response to the tragedy in Nashville. His career as a police officer and his response to yesterday's horrific events exemplify the Queen of All Saints School of Faith, which encourages students to act with charity, placing others above themselves. Queen of All Saints teachers, Stacia Kuchuris and Sherry Penkala, remember Rex as a kind and respectful student from a loyal and community-focused family. The entire Queen of All Saints community is praying for all the families affected by this tragedy and sending strength to all the first responders.
The suburban Loyola Academy and Dayton University graduates were on the team of five Nashville officers who arrived at Covenant School Monday morning to deal with the active shooter.
“You appreciate that there are people in the world who are willing to put their lives on the line and make sure other people, especially 9 year old kids, stop the carnage,” said Coach Tim Feltheim, who coached Engelbert at Loyola Cademy. “Amazing. Really, really proud.”
Engelbert grew up on the northwest side of Chicago with his four brothers.
“As an older brother, I'm so proud of him and happy that he's doing well,” Kevin Engelbert, the officer's brother, told I-Team.
He said Engelbert, 27, had been a Nashville police officer for only four years.
“The selfish part of me, of course, thought ‘I wish my sister wasn't there,'” says Engelbert. “The practical part of me thinks and has faith in it, if my brother is there….the training and grit will come soon enough.”
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Engelbert said he had seen his brother's body camera video released by Nashville police, calling it “horrific” and “tragic”.
“Also, it makes me very proud of my brother,” he said. “This is tragic for everyone involved.”
His brother was one of two officers who opened fire on the shooter, ending the attack. But he is reluctant to label him as a “hero”.
“So first and foremost, we're glad he's doing well,” said Engelbert. “And this is a tragedy and we pray for everyone involved.”
Engelbert added that the police call must have worried his younger brother greatly, as Rex Engelbert's fiancé was a teacher at a different Christian school in Nashville.