Newly disclosed FBI documents tied to the Covenant School shooting in Nashville include personal writings by attacker Audrey Elizabeth Hale that offer new insight into Hale’s mindset, planning, and finances ahead of the deadly attack.
More than 100 pages of Hale’s writings were released by the FBI following a legal challenge. The materials include journal entries believed to date back to late 2021, handwritten notes detailing preparations for a school shooting, and references to firearms Hale intended to obtain.
In several of the writings, Hale listed “Christian school (hate religion)” as a motive for targeting the Covenant School.
Hale, 28, carried out the attack on March 27, 2023, at the Christian elementary school she once attended. Six people were killed before Hale was fatally shot by responding officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The victims were identified as staff members Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61; along with three students — Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney, all 9 years old.
Police-released surveillance footage from the day of the attack showed Hale moving through the school while armed with multiple firearms.
Investigators said Hale entered through a side door and moved through different parts of the building before encountering police.
According to summaries released by officials, Hale sent a text message to a friend shortly before the shooting, calling the attack a “suicide mission” and saying the recipient would likely “hear about me on the news after I die.”
Among the newly released FBI materials reviewed by Fox News Digital is a handwritten page labeled “Account Savings Record” that references federal student financial aid.
In the document, Hale wrote that “FAFSA [sic] grant checks started at $2,050.86,” followed by ledger-style entries showing payments from Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville, where Hale was enrolled at the time.
These financial notes appear alongside detailed lists and commentary about the firearms Hale planned to buy and use during the attack.
The Tennessee Star reported that the documents may support statements previously made by Hale’s parents to Metro Nashville Police Department investigators.
According to those statements, Hale’s parents told detectives in 2023 that their child used federal Pell Grant funds to purchase the weapons involved in the shooting.
Hale’s mother reportedly explained to police that because Hale was over 25 and enrolled as a student, parental income was not considered in financial aid eligibility, allowing Hale to qualify for grant funding despite being unemployed.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake has previously confirmed that investigators recovered a manifesto and hand-drawn maps from Hale’s vehicle following the shooting.
While portions of Hale’s writings have now been made public, both the FBI and city police continue to deny requests to release the full manifesto.
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