Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake believes Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale held a sense of “resentment” toward the school, which may be a possible motive for the mass shooting that killed three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members.
Hale, a 28-year-old former student of the school, entered the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, through a side entrance and proceeded to the second level before shooting at random.
NASHVILLE SHOOTING: THREE CHILDREN, THREE ADULTS KILLED IN SHOOTING AT CHRISTIAN COVENANT SCHOOL
“There’s some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school,” Drake said in an interview with NBC News.
“She targeted random students in the school. … Whoever she came in contact with, she fired rounds,” Drake added.
Police identified the student victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9. The adult victims are Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.
Koonce had been the head of the Covenant School since July 2016 and worked in the Nashville area for over a decade. Hill was a custodian, and Peak was a substitute teacher.
Drake told reporters earlier on Monday that Hale had detailed maps of the school and surveillance, as well as a manifesto, and that the shooting was a planned attack.
“We have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this date, the actual incident,” Drake said Monday. “We have a map drawn out of how this was all going to take place.”
Drake said on Monday that Hale was transgender but did not offer further details about Hale’s identity. A LinkedIn profile associated with Hale indicated that the shooter identified as a transgender man.
Officials “feel that she identifies as trans, but we’re still in the initial investigation into all of that and if it actually played a role into this incident,” the chief said.
Former school headmaster Bill Campbell told NBC News that he remembered Hale as a third grader in 2005 and a fourth grader in 2006 but believes Hale transferred before fifth grade.
“I’ve looked back in my annuals, and I do remember her as a former student,” Campbell said. “She was just one of our young ladies. … She was just a typical co-ed, a typical student.”
Campbell said he could not recall any problems Hale had while at the Covenant School that may have raised red flags.
“I think about this student and our relationship at the time she was there, there was nothing extraordinary and unusual,” the former school administrator said. “She was loved and appreciated like all of our students.”
“It’s just an absolute tragedy what’s happened by the former student and what she did to the teachers and students,” Campbell added.
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Hale was armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun, Drake said, and two of the three were obtained legally in the Nashville area. Police tactical units arrived at Hale’s family home and placed grenade devices at the door to gain entry into the home.
Drake said police had made contact with Hale’s father and were hoping to gather more information from him.
