Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, identified as transgender, shot and killed 6 people, including 3 children, at Covenant School in Nashville. Hale is an alumnus of the small private Christian school, which teaches pre-K through 6th grade students. The school has about 200 students enrolled, according to data from its website. The private school focuses its curriculum on biblical theology. Students take classes about the Bible, along with standard education courses.
Audrey Hale is a former student of the school. He entered the school on Monday morning March 27 2023 and opened fire through the door on the side of the building. Once entering the school, Hale was indiscriminate with whom he targeted. He shoots through locked doors and targets random students in the school.
Hale killed Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, aged 9. Then guard Mike Hill, and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, and principal Katherine Koonce. After the shooting, Hale was finally killed while confronting officers on the second floor. He died at 10:27 local time, fourteen minutes after the alarm was sounded.
Hale is equipped with at least 2 assault guns and a pistol. When police searched the family's Nashville home, officers found a detailed map and manifesto of the attack. The assailant had devised plans to attack other schools in the area, but retreated. Hale has no police record or mental health problems. Covenant School was founded in 2001 as a ministry of the Covenant Presbyterian Church. Hale is a student at the school. Annual fees range from 7 to 16 thousand dollars.
The school is located in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood, just south of the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. The cafe is a favorite haunt for musicians and songwriters. The police also contacted the suspect's father to find out more information. Police plan to release a video of the shooting in the coming days.
