Nashville police identified the shooter who opened fire on Monday morning at The Covenant School as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a transgender woman and former student at the private Presbyterian school.
Three children and three adults were murdered in the shooting, which began at roughly 10:13 a.m. and lasted for 14 minutes. Police identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, Hallie Scruggs, 9, William Kinney, 9, Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.
Hale allegedly shot through a locked door to gain entry to the school while armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun, then climbed the stairs to the second floor and opened fire.
Two Nashville police officers entered the school and went to the sounds of gunfire, where they fatally shot Hale around 10:27 a.m., according to police.
Audrey Hale was identified by police as the gunman who opened fire at the Covenant School on Monday morning, killing six people.
Nashville police chief John Drake said that a nearby vehicle gave investigators clues to the shooter’s identity.
NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING: 6 KILLED INCLUDING 3 STUDENTS, SHOOTER DEAD
Hale’s home address is about three miles away from the Covenant School, according to public records. The FBI, ATF, and local police cordoned off that home with crime scene tape on Monday afternoon.
Investigators found a “manifesto” and other writings that they are looking into as they search for a motive.
Hand drawn maps of the school with detailed entry points were also located at the residence.
A LinkedIn profile and personal website that appear to be affiliated with Hale describe her as a graphic designer who creates logos for businesses. She graduated from Nossi College of Art with a degree in illustration and graphic design last year, according to the LinkedIn profile.
Drake, the police chief, identified Hale as a “transgender woman” on Monday afternoon, but Hale listed “He/Him” pronouns on LinkedIn.
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The Covenant School, which was founded in 2001, caters to pre-school through 6th grade students and is located southwest of downtown in Nashville’s Green Hills neighborhood. It wasn’t immediately clear what years Hale attended the school.
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It’s the latest tragedy perpetrated at an elementary school in the U.S. by a former student.
In May 2022, an 18-year-old man opened fire at his former grade school, Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers.
A decade before that in December 2012, a 20-year-old man killed 20 children and six adult staff members at his former elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
