The 28-year-old Nashville school shooter, who killed at least 7 students and three adults in the US on Monday was identified as transgender. The shooter reportedly had a detailed manifesto and maps to attack the school, New York Post reported citing the Nashville Police.
The shooting occurred at Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville. The 28-year-old shooter, named Audrey Hale was a former student and carried at least two assault weapons and a handgun while launching the attack.
Hale was shot and killed by police during the attack, which was the deadliest school shooting in nearly a year.
Officials said Audrey Hale, a former student, entered the school Monday morning by shooting through a door on the side of the building. Police said that the officers found detailed maps and a manifesto of the attack.
"We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we're going over that pertain to this day," Nashville Metropolitan police chief John Drake said about the discovery, as per New York Post report.
When asked if Hale's identity might have played a role in the attack, Drake responded that while "we're still in the initial investigation into all of that and if it actually played a role into this incident," authorities "feel that the shooter identifies as trans."
However, in online profiles, Hale had indicated they used he/him pronouns and also went by the name Aiden, New York Post reported.
According to the school's president, Audrey Hale graduated from Nossi College of Art & Design in Nashville last year.
According to its website, Nossi College of Art & Design is "the only college in Tennessee primarily intended as an art school."
In order to honour the victims of the Nashville School Shooting, US President Joe Biden ordered that the flags at the White House and all federal buildings will be flown at half-staff to honour the victims of the school shooting in Nashville.
He said that the flags will be flown at half-mast until sunset, on March 31, 2023.
Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted, "The 6 victims fatally shot by the active shooter at Covenant School are identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, Cynthia Peak, age 61, Katherine Koonce, age 60, and Mike Hill, age 61."
In a statement, Biden said, "As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, March 31, 2023."
He further added, "I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations." (ANI)
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