Nashville shooting: Who was Audrey Hale?

The suspect of the Nashville school shooting Audrey Hale was a former Covenant School student who brutally killed three nine-year-old children and three adults storming into the school with assault-like weapons and a handgun.

Authorities, according to CNN, said that the attack was properly planned as police recovered carefully drawn maps and writings about the entrance.

Local Police Chief John Drake shared that the 28-year-old's parents have informed the police that she was receiving treatment for an emotional disorder.

The shooter left home with a red bag carrying guns but the parents — who were living with Hale — had no knowledge about what was in the bag.

Investigating authorities are continually searching for further details about the motivation of the attack. Police told CNN that during birth, Hale was assigned female gender, but Hale used male pronouns on social media. Currently, there's no clarity about the shooter’s gender identity.

Audrey Hale sent message to classmate

Just about 20 minutes before the shooting, Hale sent a weird message to a former basketball teammate Averianna Patton who told CNN that she was "trying to process it all."

Patton said: "I knew her well when we were kids". She said hasn't had a relationship with the shooter since they were children and has only ever referred to Hale as Audrey or “she.”

"I didn’t know the adult … I don’t know that side of her," she said.

The message read: "One day this will make more sense. I’ve left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen."

Patton said she was not sure why Hale reached out. She said when they played together, Hale was "very quiet, very shy," and they joked around together.

"We got to see her grow in her skill on the court," added Patton. "We did really good that year. We went all the way to the city [championships], so it was a really good year for us. We had a real camaraderie."

Shooter graduated from Nashville art college

The shooter graduated from Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville in 2022, said the school’s president.

According to the LinkedIn profile, Hale worked as a freelance graphic designer and a part-time grocery shopper.

A photo shows her work that includes images professionally designed logos, a self-portrait and cartoon animals. An image with a phrase said: To Be A Kid (forever and ever).

The web posts by the college mention that Audrey Hale secured "Most Improved" and "Class Participation" awards from Nossi.

Byron Edwards a former vice president explained Hale as "… the sweetest little thing. I'm just shocked. My wife and I have been crying all day about it," adding that Hale “was really shy and really good."

Audrey Hale wrote on Facebook about death of teammate

Last year, hale uploaded a post on Facebook grieving about her teammate named Aiden, according to a former school teacher.

Police noted that Hale was transgender.

“The only thing I would see (Hale) post about was this girl,” Maria Colomy the teacher told CNN.

She also noted that she taught Hale for two semesters in 2017 at the College.

“From what I saw on her social, (Hale) was suffering,” Colomy said.

“She was very quiet, very good at school, very good at art, very good at her illustration,” Colomy noted while adding “Everything I saw from her was very professional.”

“I could have seen (Hale) doing children’s books for a living,” the teacher said.

Hale’s classmates at the college noted that she was dressed like a kid.