NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)- If you ask Nick Hansen, Monday morning quickly became a parent’s worst fears turned reality at The Covenant School.

“My 5-year-old had to walk out of a classroom and see bullet holes,” said Hansen. “My daughter had to hear fighting outside of her classroom, and see the remnants of a firefight that happened steps from her door where people were killed.”

The shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, killed three children and three staff members.

Hansen, like so many parents, rushed to the school after getting word about the shooting while he and his wife worked from home.

“It’s hard to know that your small section of the world is really being rocked by something like this,” Henson said.

After being reunited with his children inside the Woodmont Baptist Church, Henson described the moment he came face-to-face with his children.

“Seeing my kids it was up there with, the first time I’ve held them, it was like a second chance,” said Hansen. “It’s a second chance that unfortunately, other families didn’t get today. It’s not something you can express until you’re on the receiving end of it.”

Now, he is calling on lawmakers to take this as a wake-up call.

“It turns political every time it happens and it’s quick to see if this was mental illness, what gun was used, it doesn’t matter. Kids are dead,” Hansen said. “28-year-old woman bringing some sort of rifle to a school and shooting through a door. We don’t need more targets, we need less capable weaponry. There’s no reason someone needs this kind of firepower just readily available.”

The sounds and sights for many parents still linger, as families just like Hansen’s try to piece together what happened, stating “this should never be forgotten.”