KILLER LURKS IN HALLWAYS
Vid of roaming shooter after blasting way in
Nashville police released chilling footage showing mass killer Audrey Hale shooting out the front doors of The Covenant School and then casually stalking the hallways with assault rifles during Monday’s massacre.
The video, released late Monday by the Metro Nashville Police Department, shows Hale, 28, storm into the private Christian academy before unleashing terror by pumping bullets through the glass doors on the side of the building.
Once inside, Hale, armed with two rifles and a handgun, is seen calmly walking around the building that houses about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade.
Part of the terrifying footage shows the killer — wearing a red cap backwards, military fatigues and a dark vest — slip into various rooms through unlocked doors, appearing to search for potential victims.
Other footage released by police captured Hale arriving at the school in a Honda Fit and parking outside the building.
Hale shot and killed three 9-years-olds and three staffers at the private school before she was shot dead by police.
That fatal confrontation that ended Hale’s rampage occurred after she shot from a second-floor school window at police stationed in their vehicles, authorities said.
The two cops who opened fire on Hale were identified as Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo. Englebert is a four-year veteran and Collazo is a nine-year veteran of the department.
While Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Hale targeted the school, he noted that the victims were picked at random.
Hale was a former student at the school, according to police.
“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we’re going over that pertain to this date, the actual incident,” Drake said during a press conference Monday. “We have a map drawn out of how this was all going to take place.”
During the search of the shooter’s home, police said they also recovered a sawed-off shotgun and a second shotgun.
Drake referred to Hale by female pronouns during a press conference, but also said the shooter identified as transgender without providing more clarity. The Tennessean newspaper later reported that a police spokesperson said Hale used he/him pronouns and those pronouns were listed on a LinkedIn page used by Hale.
The victims in Monday’s awful attack were identified as 9-yearolds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and Williams Kinney; custodian Mike Hill, 61; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Katherine Koonce, 60, who was the school’s headmaster.
Mourners at multiple vigils across the community Monday night grieved for the slain students and staffers.
At Belmont United Methodist Church, mourners prayed, sang and lit candles as they at one point said together “we confess we have not done enough to protect” the children killed or wounded in shootings.
“We need to step back. We need to breathe. We need to grieve,” said Paul Purdue, the church’s senior pastor.
“We need to remember. We need to make space for others who are grieving. We need to hear the cries of our neighbors.”