University shooter prepared assault for months

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As students across Nashville walked out of course on Monday to protest gun violence at the Tennessee Capitol next a faculty shooting very last week, police claimed the individual who killed 6 men and women, which includes three 9-year-previous kids, experienced been organizing the massacre for months.

Police have not established a motive for the shootings at The Covenant University, a tiny Christian elementary university exactly where the 28-year-aged shooter was at the time a scholar, in accordance to a Monday information release from the Metropolitan Nashville Law enforcement Office. Equally Nashville police and FBI agents continue to overview writings still left guiding by Audrey Hale, equally in Hale’s vehicle and home, law enforcement stated.

“It is acknowledged that Hale viewed as the actions of other mass murderers,” police stated.

The 3 young children who were being killed in the shooting ended up Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The 3 grownups ended up Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the university, custodian Mike Hill, 61, and 61-12 months-old substitute trainer Cynthia Peak.

Hale fired a total of 152 rounds in the course of the assault before getting killed by police. That involved 126 rifle rounds and 26 9-millimeter rounds, in accordance to law enforcement.

In the meantime, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday unveiled a proposal to allocate adequate funding to spot a school useful resource officer in each general public faculty, as perfectly as raise faculty building protection and improve mental wellness methods. The announcement marks the very first general public deal with the Republican governor has made because very last week’s shooting in Nashville.

Law enforcement have reported Hale was underneath a doctor’s treatment for an undisclosed “emotional disorder.” On the other hand, authorities haven’t disclosed a hyperlink in between that treatment and the shooting. Law enforcement also claimed Hale was not on their radar in advance of the assault.

Social media accounts and other resources show that the shooter recognized as a guy and could possibly have a short while ago started using the very first name Aiden. Law enforcement have said Hale “was assigned woman at birth” but utilized masculine pronouns on a social media profile. Nevertheless, police have continued to use feminine pronouns and the identify Audrey to explain Hale.