Recently unveiled FBI documents related to the Covenant School shooting in Nashville have provided new insights into the motivations and meticulous planning of the shooter, Audrey Elizabeth Hale. These records, released after legal proceedings, include Hale’s personal writings that illuminate her mindset, preparations, and financial situation leading up to the tragic event.
Among the more than 100 pages of writings are journal entries, which are believed to date back to late 2021. They contain handwritten notes detailing Hale’s plans for a school shooting, as well as mentions of the weapons she intended to procure.
Significantly, some entries explicitly cite “Christian school (hate religion)” as a reason for selecting the Covenant School as her target. This points to an underlying motive linked to religious animosity.
Audrey Hale, 28, is seen both in a driver’s license photo and in school surveillance footage released by Nashville police. On March 27, 2023, she attacked the Christian elementary school she had once attended, resulting in the deaths of six individuals before she was fatally shot by officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The victims of this tragic event include staff members Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61, as well as students Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney, each just 9 years old. This devastating loss has left a profound impact on the community, as they continue to grapple with the aftermath of the attack.
The victims were identified as school staff members Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61; along with students Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, all 9.
Surveillance footage released by police following the attack showed Hale moving through the school armed with multiple firearms.
Authorities have said Hale entered the building through a side entrance and moved through several areas of the school before being confronted by officers.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake identified the two officers who fatally shot suspected school shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale on March 27, 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Shortly before the shooting, Hale sent a text message to a friend describing the planned attack as a “suicide mission” and stating the friend would likely “hear about me on the news after I die,” according to summaries released by officials.
Among the newly released FBI materials is a handwritten page seen by Fox News Digital and labeled “Account Savings Record,” and referenced federal student financial aid.
In the entry, Hale wrote that “FAFSA [sic] grant checks started at $2,050.86,” followed by ledger-style notes documenting payments from Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville, where Hale was enrolled at the time.
Metro Nashville Police Department released a video of 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale carrying out a shooting at Covenant school on March 27, 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
The financial entries appear alongside extensive notes about firearms Hale planned to purchase and use in the attack.
The Tennessee Star also reported those records may lend support to statements Hale’s parents made to Metro Nashville Police Department detectives shortly after the shooting.
Hale’s parents reportedly told investigators in 2023 that their child used federal Pell Grant money to purchase the firearms used in the attack.
Memorials for the six victims who were killed in a mass shooting are placed outside of The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. On Monday, three adults and three children were killed inside the school. (KR/Mega for Fox News Digital)
Hale’s mother also reportedly told police that because Hale was over 25 and enrolled as a student, parental income no longer factored into financial aid eligibility, allowing Hale to qualify for grant funding despite being unemployed.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake previously confirmed that investigators recovered a manifesto and hand-drawn maps from Hale’s vehicle after the shooting.
While portions of Hale’s writings have since been released, both city police and the FBI have continued to resist public records requests for the full manifesto.
