Fact Check: Was Nashville Shooter's Body Wearing Different Shoes?

The killing of six people, including three 9-year-olds, at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, has been filled with speculation about the shooter's motive.

Audrey Hale, 28, was killed at the scene by police officers, 14 minutes after the first emergency call, with bodycam footage revealing the moment when officers opened fire.

However, only hours after the footage was released, conspiracy theories blossomed suggesting the shooter was wearing different footwear at different stages of the attack.

The Claim

Multiple tweets posted between March 28 and 29, 2023, claimed that the Nashville shooter's footwear changed during the course of the incident.

One tweet by @WayneTechSPFX, posted on March 28, which has been viewed 852,000 times, said: "This was pointed out to me. The shoes the assailant were wearing were swapped out.

"So upon further inspection of the footage the church cameras had. And the footage that was released to by Metro PD.

"Upon inspection of both videos. I can confirm the shoes were swapped out."

Another tweet by @WhiteOnRiceAnon, posted the same day, viewed 2.1 million times, stated: "Pumas going in. Vans going out. All bullshit. Used a pre recorded training video. Explains why they released the body cam footage so quickly. They had it all set up and ready to go."

The Facts

The evidence, for want of a better word, surrounding this claim is based on the apparent difference in coloring and pattern of Hale's shoes captured by Covenant's security cameras and police body cam footage.

At first glance, it does appear that in the CCTV, the coloring and patterning looks monochromatic, with a fold across the tongue and sides of the shoe.

Then, in the police footage, what we can see is a bright red flame design across the side.

Twitter user @WhiteOnRiceAnon went as far as to suggest that the shoes in the CCTV were Pumas while those shown on the bodycam were Vans.

There is a half-truth to this, in that the shoes were Vans the whole time.

As pointed out by Twitter user @CarpeDonktum, the effect is a result of camera quality, available lighting, and distance to the subject.

The CCTV camera footage is shot from a longer distance than the police body cam. In addition, the CCTV is likely to be of lower quality for file compression purposes (the lower the quality of the footage, the more footage can be stored).

Further, as video surveillance firm Flussonic wrote in a 2021 advertorial on the topic, the clarity and quality of footage changes when movement is in the shot (such as Hale moving through the school).

Indeed, in the bodycam footage when police enter the room where Hale was shot, the shoes at first appear colorless, only for the flame to appear as the camera is pointed toward the shoe, as the camera lens focuses, providing more light into the frame.

Even without this data, the "Vans Off The Wall" logo that appears on the rear of its shoes, a branding kitemark, can be seen in the CCTV footage as well.

Therefore, the claim that the shoes changed during the incident is based on misinformed conclusions based on the quality of the footage captured at the school.

Misinformation has spread quickly in the wake of the shooting. A number of false images purported to show Hale, including one of a protester with a threatening transgender rights sign, were shared online in the aftermath of Monday's attack.

A number of social media users incorrectly identified the shooter as controversial comedian Sam Hyde, apparently as part of a dark joke that has followed other mass shootings.

The Ruling

False.

Although in CCTV footage the shoes Hale was wearing appear monochromatic, it is an effect caused by the quality of the camera and its processing. This limits the color depth available to accurately capture the scene in full detail. The bodycam footage partly suffers the same issue but provides full-color detail as the officer moves the camera's focus to the shoe.

Additionally, the distinct "Vans Off The Wall" logo on the rear of the shooter's footwear, a kitemark of the brand's shoes, is visible in the CCTV footage and the bodycam footage.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team