The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department provided additional details Monday regarding The Covenant School shooting in Nashville that left three children and three adults dead.
According to the police department’s media release, 28-year-old Audrey “Aiden” Hale planned the March 27 attack months in advance. Police found evidence items inside the suspect’s car and bedroom, including writings in that journals that showed he had been “planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School.”
As CrimeOnline reported, police previously said that Hale brought three guns and “significant ammunition” into the school after breaking into a side door at around 10:13 a.m. Monday’s release provided additional details about the shots fired.
“The investigation shows that Hale fired a total of 152 rounds (126 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 nine millimeter rounds) from the time she shot her way into the school until she was killed by police,” the media release read.
“Two officers fired on Hale. Officer Rex Engelbert discharged a total of four 5.56 rounds from his rifle; Officer Michael Collazo discharged a total of four rounds from his department-issued nine millimeter pistol.”
Nashville police responded within 14 minutes of the first 911 call and killed Hale on the second floor of the school after Hale “engaged” with them.
Police said Hale shot and killed three children and three adults. The victims have been identified as:
- Hallie Scruggs, 9
- William Kinney, 9
- Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
- Cynthia Peak, 61
- Mike Hill, 61
- Dr. Katherine Koonce, 60
Hale attended the school in 2005 and 2006, according to former headmaster Bill Campbell, who told NBC he remembers Hale as a third and fourth grader. He said his collected annual does not show Hale at the school as a fifth grader.
The school has about 200 students in grades pre-K through 6.
A video released by police shows Hale driving into the school parking lot, then blasting open a side door before roaming abandoned hallways and entering an unlocked office and other doors.
As far as motive, Nashville police said it hasn’t been established yet but “remains under investigation.”
“The motive for Hale’s actions has not been established and remains under investigation by the Homicide Unit in consultation with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. It is known that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers.”
Hale had recently begun to use the name Aiden and male pronouns.
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[Feature Photo: Top L to R: Koonce, Peak & Hill/Facebook, Handouts; Lower L to R: Evelyn, Willliam & Hallie/Handout, GoFundMe, Facebook]
