Why did Audrey Hale target Christian elementary school? Nashville shooter's autopsy reveals her clothes had mysterious handwritten notes
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: In the wake of the tragic Nashville Christian school shooting on March 27, new details have emerged from the autopsy report of the shooter, Audrey Hale, bringing to light several intriguing aspects, including mysterious handwritten notes on her clothes, a knife inscribed with her chosen name "Aiden," and an orange plastic anklet with the number 508407. The report also officially lists the perpetrator as a female while acknowledging that she likely identified as a transgender male.
As new information emerges, the debate surrounding the release of her manifesto and other recovered writings intensifies. The autopsy was made public four months after the Nashville Christian school shooting, which claimed the lives of three adults and three children. Now, the focus lies on the content of the shooter's writings, found both at the crime scene and the home of her parents, as authorities grapple with the decision of whether or not to make them available to the public.
Why did Audrey Hale target a Christian elementary school?
Despite extensive investigation, a definitive motive for the school shooting remains unknown. However, authorities have uncovered evidence suggesting that she had studied the actions of other mass murderers. Hale was found with a detailed map of the school, a suicide note, and a collection of writings that have been likened to a "manifesto," as revealed by Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake in an interview with ABC News.
Hale was a former student of the Covenant School, as reported by Nashville police. At the time of the attack, the shooter was carrying two assault-style rifles, a handgun, along with a substantial amount of ammunition. Further investigation showed that she legally purchased seven guns from five local stores between October 30, 2020, and June 6, 2022, and reportedly fired a total of 152 rounds during the shooting. The last weapon purchased by Hale was an AR-15-style weapon.
Nine-year-olds Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, and Evelyn Dieckhaus were killed in the incident, along with headmistress Dr Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and chef Mike Hill, 61. Hale used three of the seven guns purchased to carry out the heinous shooting. Hale was gunned down inside the premises of the school by two officers, each discharging four rounds, as stated by the police and seen in the released bodycam footage. The situation escalated to a fatal confrontation, leading to Hale's death.
Authorities withhold Audrey Hale's school shooting manifesto from the public
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced in May that they would not release the manifesto found after the school shooting due to ongoing litigation. In June, a lawyer representing the parents of Hale revealed that the manifesto discovered by investigators would be given to the families of students at the school. The parents have expressed their preference for the manifesto not to be made public, possibly to protect the privacy of those directly affected by the tragic event.