US: Nashville school shooter identified as 28-year-old transgender alumnus

The shooter who killed three adults and three kids in a private church-based school in Nashville, Tennessee, United States (US), was identified as Audrey Hale (28), an alumnus of the institution. The police said the accused had no criminal record before the incident, and a sense of "resentment" over having to attend the school appeared to be the driving factor behind the horrific incident.

Hale unleashed a well-planned attack on the elementary Covenant School on Monday but was shot down by the police in less than 15 minutes. Around 175 people have died in 15 major school shooting incidents in the US since 1999's Columbine High School massacre.

Hale was assigned female at birth but reportedly identified as a man, according to his LinkedIn profile, which bears he/him pronouns. According to reports, Hale was a quiet former art student who was autistic but high-functioning. The police believe he left the school after fourth grade. He started a freelance illustration and graphic design business last year after attending Nossi College of Art.

The police said Hale had detailed maps of the school building, the exits, and surveillance. They added that he carried two assault-style firearms and a handgun and targeted random persons. He also left a manifesto behind in which he expressed his rage at being sent to a Christian school. The police were in the process of determining if his transgender identity played a role.

Those murdered were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus (9), Hallie Scruggs (9), William Kinney (9), Cynthia Peak (61), Katherine Koonce (60), and Mike Hill (61). Koonce was the head of the school, Peak was a substitute teacher, Hill was the school custodian, and the other three were students. The school housed around 200 students from preschool to sixth grade.