In April 2025, the MNPD closed its investigation into the shooting, concluding that Hale had been motivated by a desire for notoriety and media attention.[10][11] He targeted the school specifically because it wasChristian.
Background
The Covenant School is a private Christian school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville. It educates students from pre-kindergarten to the sixth grade. It was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian Church, a congregation of thePresbyterian Church in America; its enrollment is about 200 students.[12]
Shooting
CCTV footage released by Nashville Police showing Hale entering and walking throughout the school armed during the shooting.
Hale drove to the school, arriving at 9:54 a.m.CDT.[13][14] At 9:57, Hale sent anInstagram message to an old friend saying an earlier post was "basically a suicide note" and anticipating dying that day.[15] The friend who received the message called acrisis hotline, then contacted the Davidson County Sheriff's Office at 10:13.[16]
At 10:10:57, Hale, armed with an AR-pistol, a 9mm carbine rifle, and a handgun, shot through a set of glass side doors and entered the building.[17][18][19] A school custodian noticed Hale shooting his way into the school and tried to run away; Hale fired several times with his AR-pistol and killed him. The smoke from the gunfire triggered the fire alarm. Several staff members and students initiated an evacuation without knowing there was an active shooter.
Hale then went up to the second floor via a stairwell, where he encountered two children in a line on the top of the stairwell, as well as a substitute teacher and other children near the entrance of the stairwell. Hale fired his AR-pistol several times, fatally shooting three children and the substitute teacher. Most of the evacuating students and staff escaped unharmed. Those students and teachers would go back to their classrooms and barricade themselves. Hale then walked up to the four victims and fired more shots into them as he walked to the second floor hallway. On the second floor, Hale walked up to a nearby classroom door and fired until the magazine was empty. Hale reloaded and fired at an adjacent classroom door until the magazine was empty. He would injure one student with flying debris in the second classroom. Hale stopped shooting and reloaded as he continued searching for potential victims in the second floor hallway.
Hearing the fire alarms go off, the head of the school exited the school office on the second floor, unaware that an active shooter incident was happening. Hale rounded the corner from the church offices into the same hallway the headmaster was in. The headmaster asked Hale what he was doing. Hale responded by shooting her multiple times with the AR-pistol, then walking up to the headmaster and shooting her once more with his handgun. At this point, Hale would spend the next three minutes walking around the second floor hallway, looking for potential victims in the rooms near the headmaster's body. During this period, Hale would switch to carrying the carbine. After failing to find any victims, Hale backtracked to the church offices to search the rooms. He would also be unsuccessful at finding any victims there too. During his brief searches at each room of the church offices, he failed to notice the faculty members hiding from him.
At 10:19, Hale gave up searching rooms and went downstairs to the first floor again. While approaching the doors to the church sanctuary, Hale opened fire at two television sets with his carbine. He then turned towards the double doors leading to the Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms. Hale opened fire through the doors with his AR-pistol without shooting anyone. Hale walked upstairs to the second floor and entered the emptied-out church sanctuary, where he fired seven times at a stained-glass window depictingAdam and Eve with his carbine before leaving. Hale then walked by a window at the church vestibule and noticed police cars arriving. He fired at the officers outside with his AR-pistol through the window for over two minutes. He would hit no officers but would disable two police vehicles.[11][20][21]
At 10:13, police received a call about anactive shooter.[22][23] When police arrived at the scene, a teacher told an officer that the students were in lockdown and two were missing.[24] Officers entered the building at around 10:23.[25][26][7] While clearing the first floor of students and staff, they heard gunshots coming from the second floor.[27][28] Officers stepped over a victim on the second floor as they made their way to Hale.[29] At 10:25, a five-member team approached Hale,[30] and two officers fired four times each, killing Hale. By 10:27, 14 minutes after the initial911 call was made, the threat was neutralized.[31][32][30] According to an autopsy report, the assailant was shot four times, once in the head, once in the torso, once in the left arm, and once in the right thigh.[33] A reunification center was set up by the MNPD at the Woodmont Baptist Church; students were taken there by school bus in the afternoon.[34]
An investigative report conducted by the Metro Nashville Police Department concluded that Hale had fired 152 times during the attack: 126 times from his AR-pistol, 25 from his carbine, and once from his pistol. Hale was also found with 272 live rounds on his person (1995.56 cartridges and 739mm cartridges). In his car, several items were found such as his wallet, car keys, cellphone, a backpack containing two notebooks, several stuffed animals, as well as five fully loaded 5.56 magazines. In Hale's residence, a short-barreled 12 gauge shotgun was found in his closet, and asuicide note addressed to his parents was found on his desk.[35]
Victims
Six people—three students and three staff—were killed at random.[7] Five were pronounced dead at a hospital and one at the scene.[36] The deceased students were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, all aged 9.[37][c] The deceased faculty members were substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; custodian Mike Hill, 61; and head of school Katherine Koonce, 60.[38] In addition, a third-grade student was shot and injured, and a police officer was hurt after cutting his hand on shattered glass.[3]
Perpetrator
Aiden Hale (March 24, 1995 - March 27, 2023), previously referred to by the police by his birthname ofAudrey Elizabeth Hale, was a 28-year-old former student of the Covenant School and a Nashville resident with no criminal record.[39] According to a former headmaster of the Covenant School, Hale attended the school when "around 10 years of age".[40][41] MNPD Police Chief John Drake said Hale was under care for an emotional disorder and had legally purchased seven firearms, including three recovered from the shooting scene, between October 2020 and June 2022.[1]
Police first referred to Hale as a woman and used his birth name. On the day of the shooting, MNPD Chief John Drake said that authorities "feel that [Hale] identifies astrans, but we're still in the initial investigation into all of that".[39] Media sources subsequently reported Hale was atrans man.[42] His former art teacher and a former classmate recalled him coming out as transgender on Facebook in 2022.[43][44] According to a friend, Hale "had a childlike obsession with staying a child".[44]
The MNPD took the lead of the investigation of the shooting, assisted by theTennessee Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.[46] Two shotguns, one of which wassawed-off, and other evidence were found in a search of the Hales' house.[47] Evidence included a detailed map of the school with potential entry points and amanifesto.[28][48] Hale was believed to have undertakenreconnaissance, and had originally considered targeting another location but had decided not to carry out the attack due to the level of security on the premises.[48] On April 3, police said Hale planned the shooting for months and fired 152 rounds at the school, 126 of them 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 of them 9mm rounds.[49]
Hale's surviving writings, including diaries and a planning document, initially called a "manifesto", were described by police as "rambling" and empty of any specific political or social issues.[41] Three pages of Hale's diary, described byCNN as containing "hate-filled language" directed at the school and its children, were leaked by conservative commentatorSteven Crowder on November 6, 2023.[50] In the pages released by Crowder, Hale allegedly wrote: "Wanna kill all you little crackers […] Bunch of little faggots w/ your white privlages [sic] fuck you faggots."[51]
In April 2025, the MNPD closed their investigation, concluding in a 48-page report that Hale was motivated by a desire fornotoriety. Hale left behind 16 notebooks containing over 1,000 pages of writings expressing a desire to serve as an inspiration for books, documentaries, a museum containing the firearms used in the shooting, as well as further school shootings by others.[11]
Hale watched a documentary about school shooters in 2017, and by 2018 had become obsessed with the issue, investigators claimed. Initially inspired by the Columbine massacre, Hale began to rank school shootings, believing that achieving a high kill count and media notoriety would make one a "god".[11]
In diary entries obtained byMegyn Kelly, Hale wrote about wanting to "kill my own race" and "kill all the white children", as well as hatred for the American people. Hale also expressed frustration dealing with autism, OCD, and a late gender transition.[11][52]
The MNPD concluded that the shooting was not motivated by race (though he "frequently raged over these topics"), nor was it motivated by a grudge against the students or staff at The Covenant School.[11] The report stated that Hale targeted the school because he believed that "theChristian faith of those within would make them meek and afraid, which further assuaged Hale's self-doubts. The age of the children and the school being considered a Christian school made [him] recognize the instant notoriety the attack would bring."[11]
Reactions
The Covenant School issued a statement asking for privacy during the law-enforcement investigation.[53] Several vigils were held for the casualties. A memorial at the school gathered items such as flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals.[53] A memorial concert was held at the Fisher Center atBelmont University, with artists includingCarrie Underwood,Tyler Hubbard,Colony House, andThomas Rhett performing. All proceeds benefitted the school's staff, students and families.[54] The city of Nashville set up a fund to support those affected. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee also established one for The Covenant School, andGoFundMe created a list with verified similar fundraisers.[55][56]
Several notable Nashville musicians includingMickey Guyton,Margo Price, andSheryl Crow offered their condolences and anger about continual school shootings.[57] ActressMelissa Joan Hart, who was nearby when the shooting occurred and helped escort some of the fleeing children to safety,[58] recounted the experience onInstagram a day later.[59]
RepresentativeAndy Ogles, whose district includes Nashville, tweeted, "We are sending ourthoughts and prayers to the families of those lost. As a father of three, I am utterly heartbroken by this senseless act of violence." Ogles's response was subsequently criticized on social media after a photo of him and his family posing with AR-15s in front of a Christmas tree resurfaced.[60]
Arizona gubernatorial press secretary Josselyn Berry tweeted, hours after the shooting, ameme of an actress fromGloria pointing two pistols alongside the text: "Us when we see transphobes." The post was widely condemned, and she resigned two days later. Her former administration said the tweet did not reflect its values.[61][62]
As a part of a long-running Internet meme, posts misidentifying the shooter using an altered photo of comedianSam Hyde circulated on social media.[63][64] A fake manifesto posted anonymously on4chan was reposted on Twitter.[65]
In response to the shooting, U.S. PresidentJoe Biden said, "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of the nation... we have to do more to protect our schools, so they aren't turned into prisons."[12] He ordered flags on all federal buildings to be flown athalf-staff.[28][66] Nashville MayorJohn Cooper called for the state to enact risk-protection laws and take action on gun safety.[67] Tennessee state representativeBob Freeman, a Democrat from Nashville, called for gun reforms in the wake of the shooting.[68]
Protestors called for increased gun control in reaction to the shootings. On March 30, thousands of protestors gathered at theTennessee State Capitol to call for stricter gun control laws.[69][70] Some children held signs saying "I'm nine" in reference to the age of the children shot.[71] Within the chamber of the capitol, three state representatives,Justin Jones,Justin Pearson, andGloria Johnson led the public gallery in chants of "no more silence", "we have to do better", and "gun reform now", demanding that lawmakers strengthen gun laws. This protest delayed a hearing on a bill which would expand gun access.[72][68] On April 5, thousands of students across the United States demonstrated in awalkout to call on lawmakers to end gun violence.[73] The student groupMarch for Our Lives organized walkouts across Tennessee as well as a march to the State Capitol.[74]
After their actions during the March 30 protest, Johnson and Jones were stripped of their committee assignments and, alongside Pearson, were notified that they could be expelled from the House. House SpeakerCameron Sexton said their actions were unacceptable, breaking rules of decorum and procedure.[75][76] Jones and Pearson wereexpelled from the House on April 6, with the vote to expel Johnson failing by a single vote.[77] Within a week, they were reinstated in interim capacities—the Nashville Metropolitan Council unanimously voted to reinstate Jones, and the Shelby County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to reinstate Pearson.[78] The expulsion and interim reinstatement garnered national attention.[79][80]
The state legislature passed bills designed to improve safety measures at schools. In March, it passed a law allowing private schools to hireschool resource officers from police departments to help prevent shootings, effective immediately.[81] In April, the legislature passed a bill allocating $230 million towards school safety, including to place school-resource officers in every school; the bill was signed into law in May.[82]
On August 8, 2023, GovernorBill Lee officially called for a special session of the General Assembly to be held on August 21 to focus on public safety in response to the shooting.[83][84]
Controversy over Hale's writings
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police officers collected what was initially described as a "manifesto" authored by Hale.[17] David Rausch, the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, later called the descriptor a "mischaracterization", describing the writings as a document detailing Hale's plan and "journal-type rantings".[41] The MNPD denied requests for the files byThe Tennessean[85] and state senatorTodd Gardenhire,[86] who argued, along with some open-government advocates, that Tennessee's public records laws required the release of the writings.[87] Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston said that the FBI had told her that the documents would not be released because they detailed a "blueprint of total destruction" and could inspire other shooters.[88] Several Tennessee politicians[86] and public figures—includingElon Musk andDonald Trump Jr.—publicly called for the release of the documents.[87][85] SenatorBill Hagerty said, "I think people do deserve to know what took place [and] what was in the mind of this sick person that committed these heinous murders."[85] House Republican Caucus ChairmanJeremy Faison attributed the lack of a legislative response to the shootings to the delayed release, saying, "We cannot possibly address this horrific situation until we know what was in [the] manifesto."[87][86]
On April 28, 2023, Tennessee GovernorBill Lee announced that, per his communications with Drake, the writings would be released "very soon".[89] When the Tennessee Firearms Association, among other organizations, filed suit to obtain the writings,[90][91] the MNPD announced that, in the face of "pending litigation", it would delay the release on the advice of counsel.[92] The Covenant School sought to intervene in both cases[93] to protect "sensitive information owned by The Covenant School" from being released,[94][95] and a collection of Covenant parents, representing 75% of the families at the school, sought to provide argument that the writings—even in a redacted form—should not be released at all.[96][97] A judge granted the requests to intervene by the school and the parents.[98] In March 2024, a federal judge in Tennessee ordered the FBI to hand over themanifesto left behind by the shooter.[99]
Leaks
On November 6, 2023, images of three pages of Hale's diary were released by conservative commentatorSteven Crowder.[100] Nashville Police chief John Drake confirmed the authenticity of the images,[50] and Nashville mayorFreddie O'Connell directed Nashville's Department of Law to investigate "how these images could have been released".[100][50] The leaks showed that Hale was hoping for "ahigh death count" and had a stated desire to "kill littlecrackers" and "faggots" with "white privilege".[101]
^An injured victim was a police officer who cut his hand on shattered glass.[3]
^Has been identified by law enforcement and the press by his birth name, Audrey Elizabeth Hale.
^Police Chief John Drake said in a press briefing on March 27, 2023, that one of the children was aged 8, while Public Affairs Director Don Aaron said that all the children were aged 9 in the same press briefing. Most sources say that all three were 9.
