What is a manifesto? Possible Nashville shooting motive explored as details of Audrey Hale targeted attack surface

Six people were allegedly shot by 28-year-old Audrey Hale in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday, March 27, 2023. Hale was later shot and killed by responding officers.

Hale killed three children and three adults in the shooting. The three kids were nine-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. Meanwhile, the adults were 60-year-old Katherine Koonce and two 61-year-olds - Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill.

Authorities later confirmed that Hale had been a student at the school in the past. Over the course of the investigation, authorities discovered Hale's alleged manifesto, a document outlining their plans for how they would carry out the massacre.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of gun violence and mass shooting that may not be suitable for all readers. Discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: As there has been some confusion about the gender identity of the shooter, they will be referred to by they/them pronouns throughout the article.

Manifestos are not unusual in mass shootings and terrorist attacks. In 1995, eco-terrorist Ted Kaczynski had a manifesto describing his motivations for bombing several buildings. Similarly, in 2011, white supremacist Anders Breivik released a manifesto describing his racist ideologies and his reasons for carrying out a mass shooting.

As per Newsweek, while Audrey Hale's manifesto did not feature the shooter's intentions, it detailed their plans for the attack. The Nashville shooter's intentions remain unconfirmed.

There has been some confusion about the gender identity of the shooter. While they were referred to as a "transgender woman," by Nashville Police Chief John Drake, Hale listed the "he/him" pronouns on their LinkedIn profile.

According to The New York Times, a police spokeswoman, Kristin Mumford, said that the shooter had been born female. However, it is worth noting that Hale did transition later in life. Authorities believe that Hale's gender identity may have been at odds with the Christian school's values, which may have led to the shooting.

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The Nashville shooter's manifesto shows that Audrey Hale planned on attacking two buildings

While officials did not publicly release Audrey Hale's manifesto, they described what the suspect had written. Hale reportedly planned to attack two buildings but only attacked the school as the other building was heavily guarded.

Nashville Police Chief Drake told reporters:

"We have a manifesto. There's some writing that we're going over that pertain to this date, the actual incident. We have a map drawn out of how all this was gonna take place."

Authorities said that Hale brought two assault rifles and a pistol to the scene of the crime, along with multiple rounds of ammunition. They believe that if the suspect had not been shot by Nashville officers, they would have killed several other victims.

Drake added that they also found several maps, indicating that Hale had systematically planned the Nashville attack. He said that Hale had drawn detailed maps of the school, including surveillance systems and entry points, among other things. He noted that Hale entered the school after shooting at one of the doors.

Chief Drake speculated that the attack may have been motivated by Hale's gender identity. The school was known to be religious, which may have driven Hale to become "resentful" of it.

At the time of the shooting, Audrey Hale was reportedly living with their mother Norma Hale. Norma was described by neighbors as a religious woman who worked as a coordinator at a local church.

At the time of the shooting, Audrey had been working as a graphic designer and illustrator. Their neighbors told the Daily Beast that the 28-year-old showed signs of high-functioning autism.

While the attack was targeted, authorities believe that the students and teachers killed during the shooting were most likely targeted at random.