The killer carried a crimson bag.
On the morning of March 27, the one that police would later determine as Audrey Hale, 28, was virtually out the door on an in any other case sunny day when Hale’s mom requested what was within the bag.
Hale’s mother and father, Norma and Ronald, needed to be involved. Hale had been underneath a physician’s take care of what police would later name an undisclosed “emotional dysfunction.”
The Hales would later inform police that they had no concept seven weapons had been hidden in the home or that three of them would make it to the automotive that morning. They informed police they did not imagine Hale ought to have entry to a gun.
Ignoring the query concerning the bag, Hale was off to kill faculty kids.
Hale walked out of the brick, Tudor-style home in Nashville’s Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood and put the crimson bag within the automotive.
Hale did not plan on coming house.
Armed for destruction
Legally, and with out the Hale household’s data, in line with police, Hale had bought what seems to be a semi-automatic KelTec SUB2000 carbine rifle, which was engineered to fold in half so it may well simply be hid.
It weighs 4 kilos and prices between $600 and $900 relying on modifications. It may well deal with each 15- and 33-round magazines.
The weapon is at the moment underneath a recall as a result of firing it may well trigger the barrel to rupture and, in line with the producer, “may lead to severe private harm. The protection of our clients is our major concern.”
The protection of others was not talked about.
The weapon was designed to suit inside a backpack or a shoulder bag.
The KelTec SUB2000, nonetheless, was not sufficient firepower for Hale.
Hale additionally put a Lead Star Arms Grunt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a Smith&Wesson M&P 9mm Defend EZ handgun within the automotive. All seven weapons had been legally bought at 5 undisclosed Nashville-area shops.
The AR-15 had “Aiden” painted in white on its inventory.
Hale had been utilizing the title “Aiden” and he/him pronouns on social media in latest months, and police described Hale as transgender.
Arriving at Covenant
It’s unclear which route Hale took Monday morning. Probably the most direct manner would take Hale simply lower than 10 minutes to drive 2.9 miles into Inexperienced Hills to The Covenant Faculty. Hale had attended the varsity as a baby.
Hale’s rolling arsenal, a four-door, grey Honda Match with a yellow “Thrasher” sticker on the rear window traveled from Brightwood Drive. There have been a number of different nearer targets − Hillsboro Excessive Faculty, Lipscomb College, the Inexperienced Hills Mall − however Hale stored driving. Police stated Hale might have thought of different targets together with a mall and college however haven’t but disclosed places.
Hale entered the Covenant Presbyterian Church car parking zone at 9:53 a.m.
The Convenant Faculty is hooked up to the church.
Hale slowly drove via the winding parking space, previous the steepled, stone sanctuary, previous the parking areas designated for senior residents, previous the kids taking part in on the swings.
The grey Honda parked within the rear a part of the lot, leaving a little bit of a stroll to the varsity’s entrance doorways.
From The Tennessean:quarter-hour of terror: How Covenant Faculty taking pictures and Nashville police response unfolded
An everyday Monday
At 9:53 a.m., The Covenant Faculty was within the midst of a daily Monday.
A vacuum cleaner sat idly contained in the entrance door. A protracted row of cubbies within the entrance hallway had been stuffed with jackets and backpacks. Youngsters’s watercolor work on blue development paper held on the wall.
An ornamental blue and white ringed life preserver held on the wall exterior Mrs. Probability’s classroom.
Lots of the school rooms had inspirational phrases painted exterior their doorways. “Hope” in cursive. “Gratitude” in block letters.
Down the corridor, kids’s photos had been taped subsequent to a rainbow resulting in an image of a pot of gold. Letters spelling “MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD” had been taped to the wall.
It might be the final regular half hour of all their lives.
‘I am planning to die at the moment’
The killer paused within the car parking zone and pulled out a telephone.
Over the following 16 minutes, Hale despatched a minimum of one set of Instagram messages. The recipient was Averianna Patton, who was a center faculty basketball teammate of Hale.
The second sentence of Hale’s message: “I am planning to die at the moment.”
“THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!! You’ll most likely hear about me on the information after I die.”
“That is my final goodbye. I like you … See you once more in one other life.”
Hale signed the message: “Audrey (Aiden).”
The time stamp was 9:57 a.m.
Over the following 13 minutes, Hale exchanged extra messages with Patton and strapped up.
Patton responded: “Audrey! You have got a lot extra life to reside. I pray God retains and covers you.”
Hale despatched 4 consecutive responses.
Hale’s final phrases: “Forgive me.”
Hale grabbed the 2 rifles, strapping one in every of them diagonally chest to waist. Hale carried sufficient ammunition to destroy any innocence Nashville had left.
By means of shattered glass
The killer wore a crimson ball cap, backward, and glasses.
Hale’s T-shirt was white, pants had been camouflage and footwear had been blue Vans. Hale wore a black tactical vest.
Hale wore black, fingerless gloves.
At 10:10 a.m., Hale approached a door on the west facet of the varsity, and fired about 9 pictures via the glass. Hale ducked via the shattered glass, passing an indication that stated “Welcome Covenant Ladies.”
With Hale inside the varsity, an alarm started to blare. As a part of the emergency system, lights flashed contained in the brightly lit faculty.
At 10:12:05, a girl hiding underneath a desk within the nursery workplace made the primary 911 name.
At 10:12:54 a.m., a unnamed girl known as whereas hiding in an artwork classroom closet.
“It feels like anyone is taking pictures weapons,” the caller stated.
A number of seconds later: “I’m listening to extra pictures. Please hurry.”
Hale walked fastidiously via the hallways. Hale raised and lowered the weapon every time there was a sound or when Hale turned a nook.
Over the following 10 minutes, Hale stalked via the primary and second flooring of the faculty, killing three college students and three employees members.
The police response
That first name to Metro Nashville police despatched vehicles flying towards the varsity.
A white Metro Nashville squad automotive labeled 9088BB carrying Officer Rex Engelbert stopped in entrance of The Covenant Faculty at 10:21 a.m.
From the radio, Engelbert heard: “Simply bought an replace. It is going to be first flooring, fundamental foyer.”
The four-year police veteran popped open his automotive’s trunk, unzipped a inexperienced duffel bag and pulled out an AR-15 rifle with a scope.
A girl sporting a pink lanyard waited on the sidewalk in entrance of the varsity.
“The youngsters are all locked down,” she stated. “We’ve got two children … we do not know the place they’re.”
Engelbert sized up the varsity. “Sure ma’am” is all he stated.
Thirty eight seconds after arriving, Engelbert cocked his gun.
‘Let’s go’
Engelbert stood on the entrance of the varsity shouting, “Gimme three. Let’s get three.”
Three officers joined him as he unlocked the glass door.
“Let’s go,” Engelbert stated.
The hallway appeared empty, neat cubbies, clear flooring. Engelbert and his workforce, with out understanding the shooter’s whereabouts, pushed right into a classroom.
The clock on the wall learn: 10:23 a.m.
“Metro Police!” they shouted as they entered every room.
The desks had been in rows, and there was no signal of misery wherever … except you rely the absence of youngsters.
And the blaring alarm.
The police moved rapidly, from class to class, rest room to toilet.
Every class had an American flag.
Engelbert heard somebody yell, “We do not know the place he’s!”
He walked along with his finger off the set off.
Second flooring standoff
The killer appeared to arrange for a standoff within the second flooring sitting space on the prime of the steps in entrance of the gothic arched window.
The wailing alarm had now been joined by a shrill, bleating second alarm sound.
There was furnishings within the room, and a bookcase, however Hale did not use any of them for canopy.
As the sunshine poured in from the large window, Hale stood uncovered.
Because the sound of police operating and yelling directions rang out, Hale fired a shot.
‘Hold pushing’
Now Engelbert knew the place Hale was.
“It is upstairs,” he stated. “Sounds prefer it’s upstairs.”
The police flew towards the sound of the gunfire.
Second flooring, prime of the steps, down a hallway, proper flip.
Engelbert ran down a hallway with cutout penguins on the wall.
Officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year police veteran, additionally heard the shot and ran up the steps. He was behind Engelbret, his service weapon pointed in entrance of him.
“Go. Stairs. Go. Stairs,” Collazo stated.
Collazo and two different officers ran down the hallway. They noticed the physique of a sufferer on the ground.
“We bought one down,” an officer stated.
“Hold pushing,” Collazo stated.
They ran previous.
As Engelbert bought nearer, Hale was firing wildly. No officer was struck within the taking pictures.
There was a pause.
It was 10:25 a.m.
That is when Rex Engelbert aimed his AR-15 and opened hearth.
Three fast pictures.
‘Suspect down’
The killer dropped to the ground.
Hale’s weapon fell to the bottom.
One other officer yelled, “STOP MOVING. GET YOUR HAND AWAY FROM THE GUN.”
Hale moved.
Collazo stepped in entrance of the opposite officers and fired three pictures.
As he ran towards Hale, Collazo continued to yell, “STOP MOVING.”
Collazo stood over Hale’s lifeless physique.
“Suspect down,” he stated.
Modified without end
The killer was alive inside The Covenant Faculty for quarter-hour.
Lower than 4 minutes handed from the time Engelbert cocked his gun, till Hale was useless.
Horrible reminiscences, nonetheless, will final without end.
The college will now at all times be related to the names of the victims: college students Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, Hallie Scruggs, 9, and William Kinney 9, in addition to head of college Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute instructor Cynthia Peak, 61, and custodian Mike Hill, 61.
Editor’s notice from The Tennessean, a member of the USA TODAY Community: This story relies on interviews, police accounts, 911 name recordings and an in depth assessment of surveillance video and physique digicam footage.
