Police on Monday identified the person accused of opening fire at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, as 28-year-old Audrey Hale.
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed on Monday that three adults and three children were fatally shot inside Covenant School, a private Christian school, in Nashville Monday afternoon. The violence marks the latest mass shooting in the United States, the 13th school shooting since January 1, and the 129th mass shooting of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). While there is no agreed definition, the GVA says a mass shooting is four or more people shot or killed in an incident, excluding the shooter.
Following the tragedy, some high-profile conservatives speculated the shooter may have been transgender, but liberals criticized the focus on Hale's gender identity, arguing that factor is not necessarily relevant to the shooting.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake during a press conference Monday evening addressed online speculation about Hale's gender identity.
"She does identify as transgender, yes," Drake said.
During the press conference, a reporter asked Drake if police believe Hale's identity was related to the crime.
"We can give you that at a later time. There is some theory to that. We're investigating all the leads," Drake said, adding that police are reviewing a manifesto and map related to the incident. He said police continue to probe a potential theory about the shooting but have not publicly revealed any motive.
Drake said police believe Hale previously attended the school.
"From my initial findings ... at one point she was a student at that school, but unsure what year, all of that. But that's what I've been told so far," he said.
More information about Hale's identity was not immediately known Monday afternoon.
Police have also identified the victims of the shooting as 9-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The adult victims were identified as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.
Police have confirmed that Hale was in possession of two assault-style rifles and one handgun.
MNPD Director of Media Relations Don Aaron said in an earlier press conference that police received calls about an "active shooter" inside Covenant School at about 10:13 a.m. Police had engaged the shooter, who was dead by 10:27 a.m., Aaron said.
Prior to Monday's shooting, there were 33 incidents of gunfire on U.S. school grounds this year, according to Everytown Research and Policy. Among those, at least 25 people were injured and eight were killed, the organization said. Last year, there were 177 instances of gunfire on school grounds.
Update 03/27/22 6:36 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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