Federal Bureau of Investigation records connected to the deadly Covenant School attack in Nashville have exposed disturbing details about how shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale financed the weapons used in the March 27, 2023, massacre that claimed six innocent lives.
The FBI released over 100 pages of documentation following legal action, providing new insights into Hale’s preparations, motivations and the financial trail that led to the tragic event at the Christian elementary school.
Among the most significant revelations in the newly disclosed materials is a handwritten ledger titled “Account Savings Record” that directly references federal student financial aid programs.
The document shows Hale meticulously tracked government grant disbursements received through the college aid system.
According to the records, Hale documented that federal grant checks began at $2,050.86.
The entries detail payments received from Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville, where Hale was enrolled as a student at the time.
These financial notations appeared alongside extensive documentation about firearms Hale intended to acquire and deploy during the attack.
The juxtaposition of government aid records with weapons planning reveals a calculated approach to funding the deadly scheme.
The Tennessee Star reported that these financial records appear to validate statements Hale’s parents provided to Metro Nashville Police Department detectives in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
The parents indicated their child had used federal Pell Grant funding to purchase the firearms used in the attack.
Fox News outlined that Hale’s mother reportedly explained to investigators that because Hale was over 25 years old and enrolled as a student, parental income was no longer considered in determining financial aid eligibility.
This allowed Hale to qualify for grant money despite having no employment income.
The 28-year-old attacked the Covenant School, a Christian elementary institution Hale had previously attended as a student.
The assault resulted in the deaths of six individuals before responding Metro Nashville Police Department officers fatally shot Hale.
Three school staff members lost their lives in the attack: Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61.
Three young students were also killed: Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, all just 9 years old.
The released materials include journal entries that investigators believe date back to late 2021, along with handwritten notes detailing preparations for a school shooting.
The documents also contain references to specific weapons Hale planned to obtain.
Some writings explicitly list “Christian school (hate religion)” as motivation for selecting the Covenant School as a target.
This notation provides direct evidence of Hale’s reasoning for choosing the religious institution.
Police surveillance footage from the day of the attack captured Hale moving through the school building while armed with multiple firearms.
Authorities stated Hale gained entry through a side door and progressed through various sections of the school before encountering law enforcement officers, per Fox.
Prior to executing the attack, Hale sent a text message to a friend characterizing the planned assault as a “suicide mission.”
The message indicated the friend would likely “hear about me on the news after I die,” according to official summaries released by authorities.
Fox reported that Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed that investigators recovered a manifesto and hand-drawn maps from Hale’s vehicle following the shooting.
While some portions of Hale’s writings have been made public, both city police and the FBI have continued to oppose public records requests seeking release of the complete manifesto.
