Audrey Hale’s Manifesto Details Monthslong Plan to Commit Shooting

Audrey Hale, the 28-year-old mass shooter who killed six individuals at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, last week had a manifesto that detailed monthslong plans to commit the attack, according to police.

“The ongoing investigation into the March 27 murders of six persons inside The Covenant School continues to show, from all information currently available, that killer Audrey Hale acted totally alone. In the collective writings by Hale found in her vehicle in the school parking lot, and others later found in the bedroom of her home, she documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School,” the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said in an update on Monday.

The update noted that the writings by Hale remain under investigation by officials with the MNPD and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). However, Hale’s motive currently remains unknown, but the update added that “it is known that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers.”

After the shooting, Hale was identified as the suspect who killed three students and three adults at The Covenant School. Hale, who was identified by police as transgender, was fatally shot by officers with the MNPD. A LinkedIn profile for Hale had he/him pronouns listed, however it is unknown at this time what role this may have played in the shooting.

The victims of the shooting were previously identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all of whom were 9 years old. Three other adult victims were identified as Katherine Koonce, 60, Cynthia Peak, 61 and Mike Hill, 61.

Since the shooting, there has been ongoing speculation surrounding the manifesto that police discovered. Last week, MNPD Chief John Drake confirmed that officials recovered a manifesto written by Hale. However, shortly after Drake’s comments, speculation arose online. Some online users including Donald Trump Jr. shared an alleged portion of the manifesto, which said, “You mess with our kids, we kill your kids.”

Don Aaron, the director of public affairs for the MNPD, previously told Newsweek that police could not confirm the portion of the manifesto that was shared online.

Last week, the MNPD shared a video of the body camera footage from the two officers who engaged Hale during the shooting.

“MNPD Officers Rex Engelbert, a 4-year veteran, and Michael Collazo, a 9-year veteran, were part of a team of first responders to the Covenant campus Mon morning. They fired on the active shooter, who was killed. This is their body camera footage,” MNPD said in a tweet with the video.

Newsweek reached out to the MNPD for further comment via email.