Nashville Covenant School Shooter Audrey Hale Told Friend 'I'm Planning To Die Today' In Shocking Final Message
March 28 2023, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Before shooter Audrey Hale, who identified as transgender, gained access to The Covenant School in Nashville and opened fire, killing six people, she sent messages to a friend on social media. The upsetting DMs were made public on Tuesday, in which she admitted that she planned to die but did not disclose she was about to unleash a heinous attack on innocent school children and staff, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Hale, 28, was reportedly a former student of Covenant. The friend she reached out to moments before the chaos erupted was a middle school classmate who she played basketball with.
Shortly before she shot through the school's glass windows and was seen in security camera footage maneuvering through the Pre-K to sixth-grade facility's hallways, Hale sent several direct messages to Averianna Patton on Instagram.
In the first message, Hale confessed that she was going to die that day.
"So basically that post I made on here about you, that was basically a suicide note," Hale wrote in the message. "I'm planning to die today."
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Hale frantically followed up the shocking message with another one, stressing the reality of her words. "THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!!" the suspect followed up with a second message.
Both messages had gone unanswered, but Hale continued, warning that Patton would "probably hear about me on the news after I die."
Hale then sent another message as her "last goodbye."
"This is my last goodbye," read the fourth message in a row from Hale. "I love you. See you again in another life."
Patton frantically responded and attempted to reason with her old friend. "Audrey! You have so much more life to live," Patton replied. "I pray God keeps and covers you."
Hale wrote back, telling her friend that she knew she didn't "want to live" and apologized.
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"I'm so sorry. I'm not trying to upset you or get attention," Hale replied. "I just need to die."
"I wanted to tell you first because you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen and known all my life," the suspect continued.
Hale revealed that her family had no idea about "what I'm about to do" and added that "one day this will make more sense."
"I've left more than enough evidence behind," Hale wrote in another message. "But something bad is about to happen."
Patton immediately reported the disturbing messages to the police, but it was too late. Hale already began her rampage at Covenant. Two police officers responded to the school and quickly engaged with Hale on-site, where she was shot and killed.
