Killer was alumnus of institution
The heavily armed shooter who blasted her way through a Tennessee Christian school on Monday — killing six — was identified as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a Nashville native who formerly attended the school, police said.
Hale, 28, was a commercial illustrator and graphic designer who posted her creations online and once worked on a children’s book about a support dog, according to a LinkedIn page.
She identified as transgender, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at a press conference, though it wasn’t clear whether the suspect identified as a man or woman.
Asked whether Hale’s identity could be a factor in the motive, Drake said, “There is some theory to that, we’re investigating all the leads.”
On her website, Hale — who was shot dead by cops during the 14-minute, targeted onslaught inside The Covenant School in Nashville — described herself as enjoying “binging on video games, watching movies, and playing sports.”
“There is a child-like part about me that loves to go run to the playground,” she wrote. “Animals are my second passion, so I also enjoy spending time with my two cats.”
Hale attended Nossi College of Art, a tiny college in Nashville, and most recently worked part-time as a grocery shopper for Shipt, according to LinkedIn, which listed he/ him pronouns.
Police have not elaborated on Hale’s connection to the Covenant School, other than to say she was a former student there. A search of her home turned up detailed maps of the school, including entry points, and a manifesto, Drake said.
A TikTok account under the name “iam_aiden10,” which linked to other social media associated with Hale, posted a video on Feb. 9 of a person’s shadow. The clip showed them bouncing a basketball and then a basketball net, an apparent tribute to a friend who had died.
On the screen it displayed the words: “For Syd. I look up the sky is bright. It’s a beautiful day. I wish you were here...”
The account was later deleted.
Hale’s mother Norma Fort Hale works as a coordinator at The Village Chapel, a Nashville church, according to Fort Hale’s apparent Facebook page.
The mom gushed about Hale and her brother on Facebook regularly. In 2018 she posted a link to a petition to “keep guns out of schools” in connection to the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012.