Nashville Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake addressed reporters Monday evening, saying "we've identified the shooter as Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old female that lived in the Nashville area." Drake told reporters that Hale "does identify as transgender," despite the fact that he previously referred to her as a "female."
"We have investigations happening now ... we have made touch with the father," he said. "We have also determined there were maps drawn of the school in detail, surveillance, entry points, etc."
The chief also confirmed the existence of a manifesto and other documentation and stated that authorities are looking into whether or not Hale's transgender identity was a factor in the shooting plot. There's probably some truth to that; rest assured we're following up on all the possible leads.
Three children and three teachers were among the six people killed by Hale. Drake verified that Hale attended the Covenant School "at one point," but was unclear of the specific dates of her attendance.
According to the school's website, there are roughly 200 students enrolled in grades pre-K through 6 at Covenant School. The school was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department claimed that one of its officers "engaged" the shooter, whom cops fatally shot. The gunman "appears to be in her teens," officials declared at a press conference on Monday, however the police later confirmed that Hale was the perpetrator.
She was armed with two AR-style rifles and one pistol, Drake said. The authorities think she got them legitimately.
The three children were pronounced deceased after arriving at Vanderbilt Medical Center, the spokeswoman told ABC News.
