Audrey Hale's Parents Are 'Laying Low' And Communicating Only Through Their Church, Pastor Says
March 31 2023, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
The family of Nashville school shooting suspect Audrey Hale are "laying low" and communicating only through their church, according to their pastor, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Monday, an armed Hale, 28, entered The Covenant School, where she was a former student, and shot and killed six people, including three 9-year-olds.
The 28-year-old suspect's parents, Norma and Ronald Hale, are only receiving messages through the church following Monday's tragedy.
Their pastor, Jim Thomas, made a statement on the devout couple at a candlelight vigil service held at their church, The Village Chapel.
"By necessity, they have to lay low for quite a while it looks like, or the foreseeable future, anyway," Pastor Thomas said of Hale's parents.
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The senior pastor told the congregation that any messages for Norma, who worked at the church, and Ronald could be passed along though the congregation.
"But if you have some messages or whatever you’d like to send to them, you can get it to us and we can find a way to get it to them," Pastor Thomas stated.
"This week many of us find ourselves stunned into silence," Thomas continued. "So many of us have simply grown in our prayers or wept a river of tears and continue to do so because of the significance of all of the lives taken this senseless act of violence."
"In spite of what Audrey has done, we pray for God’s mercy on her soul," the pastor added.
Police stated that Hale identified as transgender — and sources claimed that Norma and Ronald could not accept that their daughter was gay or her identity.
Hale, who lived with her parents in Nashville, was allegedly prohibited from wearing men's clothing at home. Sources close to the suspect said that she would wait to change into men's clothes after she left the house.
Hale also preferred to go by the name Aiden and used He/Him pronouns, however, the insider claimed that the parents refused to comply with their daughter's wishes.
As police and investigators continued work to uncover a potential motive for the heinous attack, it was discovered that Hale had undergone treatment for an "emotional disorder."
Hale's detailed maps of the school and a manifesto, both of which were found after officers shot and killed her, were sent to the FBI for further investigation.