Nashville School Shooting: What We Know and What We Don’t

Updated March 29, 2023

• As the investigation continues, authorities are discovering more about the suspect and his motive, which is still unclear. 
• A former teacher of Hale’s recalled a social media post where the suspect shared the death of his romantic partner, whose identity remains unknown. In the post, Hale asked to be addressed as Aiden and by he/him pronouns.
• State officials discovered that Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) and his wife were friends with victim Cynthia Peak and had invited her to dinner that night, alluding to a possible motive. Authorities said no other victims appeared to be targeted explicitly. 
• Nashville police said Hale was “under doctor’s care for emotional disorder” and had legally purchased seven deadly weapons. Hale’s parents claimed not to know about the weapons, which were hidden in their home. The suspect also obtained detailed maps of the school and its entry points.  
• Hale sent concerning messages to a friend, Averianna Patton, before the shooting, referencing suicidal thoughts and fears that something bad may happen. Patton called the Suicide Prevention Hotline, which directed her to the County Sheriff’s Office, and then to Nashville’s non-emergency phone number. She was on hold with the non-emergency phone line when Hale entered The Covenant School. 
• Since the shooting, there has been an uptick in transphobic rhetoric among conservative lawmakers, using the shooter’s identity to push their efforts to eliminate trans rights and resist gun reform. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) wrote in a tweet:

“How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking? Everyone can stop blaming guns now.”

• Regarding the comment, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said: 

“It’s absolutely disgusting and she should be looking into a mirror as to why she’s defending and posing with the same weapons that are being used to kill children, teachers & educators.”

What’s the story?

• Nashville is mourning after the shooting at a private Christian elementary school on Monday, where three children and three adults were killed. 
• The shooter was a former student, Audrey E. Hale, who lived in the area. Hale was shot and killed by the Metro Nashville Police Department on-site. 
• The victims are Evelyn Dieckhause, 9; William Kinney, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; Mike Hill, 61; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Katherine Koonce, 60. 
• Hale arrived at the school with an AR-style rifle, an AR-style pistol, and a handgun, all obtained legally and locally. Sources close to Hale said the 28-year-old was a “quiet” art student who may have been fueled by “resentment” toward the former school, The Covenant School.
• Police initially identified the suspect as a woman, but the source noted Hale used he/him pronouns, which a LinkedIn profile confirmed. 
• As of late March, the Gun Violence Archive counted 130 mass shootings so far this year in the U.S. Last year, the group counted 647. 

Nashville Rep. controversy

• Rep. Andy Ogles, a first-time Republican representing the Nashville district, said he was “devastated” by the shooting. He continued:

“We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost. As a father of three, I am utterly heartbroken by this senseless act of violence.”

• Gun control advocates resurfaced a photo of Ogles and his family posing in front of their Christmas tree, holding heavy weaponry. Ogles’ caption read, “The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.”

THIS is last year's Christmas card from Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican who represents the district that Covenant School is in in Nashville. #tnleg pic.twitter.com/IpkLzZs5m5

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 27, 2023

• Activists highlight Ogles’ hypocrisy, urging the representative to take action on the ever-increasing death toll of mass shootings in America. When asked about congressional action, Ogles said:

“We don’t want to jump to any conclusions. There’s still a lot more information about this case that hasn’t been let out to the public.”

• Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) tweeted in response:

“How much more bloodshed will it take? It’s. The. Guns.”

• Advocate Fred Guttenberg, whose child was killed in the Parkland shooting in 2018, denounced Ogles, saying: 

“The tragedy of the latest mass shooting is listening to Tennessee politicians who refuse to call it a shooting but who engaged in behavior that caused this to be more likely when they glorify guns.”

Biden’s ban on assault weapons

• President Joe Biden signed an executive order earlier this month that mandates required background checks for all firearm sales, cracking down on sellers who break the law. 
• Biden signed the order in Monterey Park, California, the scene of a mass shooting in January that left eleven people dead. 

"Every few days in the United States, we mourn a new mass shooting. We cannot accept these facts as the enduring reality of life in America. Instead, we must together insist that we have had enough."

• Read more on Biden's executive order here.

Donate to those affected by the Nashville school shooting. 

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Twitter/Metro Nashville Police Department)