Nashville shooter Audrey Hale allegedly used federal student aid to buy guns for school attack
Newly released FBI records connected to the Covenant School shooting in Nashville include writings made by shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale that shed further light on her motivations, planning and personal finances.
The FBI released more than 100 pages of Hale’s writings following litigation, which included journal entries believed to date back to late 2021, handwritten notes outlining preparations for a school shooting and references to weapons Hale intended to acquire.
Some of the writings list “Christian school (hate religion)” as a reason for targeting the Covenant School.
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Hale, 28, carried out the March 27, 2023, attack at the Christian elementary school she once attended, killing six people before being shot dead by responding Metro Nashville Police Department officers.
The victims were identified as school staff members Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61; along with students Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, all age 9.
Surveillance footage released by police following the attack showed Hale moving through the school armed with multiple firearms.
Authorities have said Hale entered the building through a side entrance and moved through several areas of the school before being confronted by officers.
Shortly before the shooting, Hale sent a text message to a friend describing the planned attack as a “suicide mission” and stating the friend would likely “hear about me on the news after I die,” according to summaries released by officials.
Among the newly released FBI materials is a handwritten page seen by Fox News Digital and labeled “Account Savings Record,” and referenced federal student financial aid.
In the entry, Hale wrote that “FAFSA [sic] grant checks started at $2,050.86,” followed by ledger-style notes documenting payments from Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville, where Hale was enrolled at the time.
The financial entries appear alongside extensive notes about firearms Hale planned to purchase and use in the attack.
The Tennessee Star also reported those records may lend support to statements Hale’s parents made to Metro Nashville Police Department detectives shortly after the shooting.
Hale’s parents reportedly told investigators in 2023 that their child had used federal Pell Grant money to purchase the firearms used in the attack.
Hale’s mother also reportedly told police that because Hale was over 25 and enrolled as a student, parental income no longer factored into financial aid eligibility, allowing Hale to qualify for grant funding despite being unemployed.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake previously confirmed that investigators recovered a manifesto and hand-drawn maps from Hale’s vehicle after the shooting.
While portions of Hale’s writings have since been released, both city police and the FBI have continued to resist public records requests for the full manifesto.
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