The Nashville school shooter, Audrey Hale, had planned the attack for months and had studied other mass murderers before killing six people, including three children. The motive for slaying victims has not yet been established, and officials are still investigating.
Hale fired 152 rounds from two assault rifles and a handgun during the shooting. Most of the rounds fired by Hale – 126 – were 5.56 rifle rounds, and 26 were 9 mm rounds, police said.
Nashville State Governor Bill Lee has proposed having an armed guard stationed at every school in the state to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Hale had suffered from an emotional disorder at the time of the shooting and was under doctors’ care. She had previously attended the school in Nashville, Tennessee, but her motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Hale’s parents knew she had a weapon but did not trust her to keep it, so they requested that she sell it. Hale’s mother inquired about her red backpack, but she ignored it on the day of the murders. Despite Hale’s mother’s inquiry, she still did not know about the chilling plan that her daughter would later carry out. Later, authorities confirmed that the backpack contained the firearms used in the mass murder.
Before the shooting, the killer sent a haunting final message to a former middle school teammate on Instagram. The teammate immediately called the police to report the messages, but it was too late.
We send our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims and the injured individuals affected by the attack. We must hold onto hope and come together to honor the memory of those lost.
