Nashville School Shooter Audrey Hale Hid Gun Collection From Her Family, Bought 7 Firearms From 5 Different Stores
March 28 2023, Published 4:48 p.m. ET
Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale hid seven firearms from her parents, which she purchased from five different stores before she opened fire at The Covenant School on Monday morning, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Police identified Hale, 28, as their suspect on Monday. Two officers responded to the scene and engaged with Hale, killing her on-site.
Prior to inflicting unthinkable pain onto her community, Hale was not on law enforcement's radar as a threat to the public — and was able to easily obtain a plethora of firearms before the shooting.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake stated that his department had yet to discover a motive for the shooting on Monday, although it was believed that the 28-year-old was a former student of the private Christian school.
Drake insisted that law enforcement "had absolutely no idea" that Hale was a danger to the community or herself.
The Chief revealed that after speaking to Hale's family, it was discovered that she had been treated for an "emotional disorder."
Although she had history of mental health concerns, Hale was able to purchase seven firearms from five different stores.
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Chief Drake stated that the suspect's family believed she "should not own weapons," which led authorities to believe she "had been hiding several weapons within the house."
According to Drake, Hale's family thought that she sold the only firearm she owned and they assumed that she "did not own anymore."
Three of the seven guns, which were all legally purchased from local Nashville firearms stores, were brought to the school by Hale.
Ultimately, the suspect chose an AR-15-style rifle, AR-15 style pistol, and a handgun to inflict as much carnage as possible.
Hale's family told law enforcement that when she left the house on Monday morning, she carried a red bag with her.
The family allegedly questioned the suspect about the bag's contents but decided to not press any further, as they were convinced that she did not own any firearms.
On the matter of Hale being able to possess a firearm after undergoing treatment for an "emotional disorder," Chief Drake revealed that Hale was legally allowed to own the weapons due to Tennessee law.
Tennessee did not have any reg flag laws in place when Hale purchased the firearms, which meant that law enforcement could not take away any guns owned by Hale, even if she was a threat to herself or the public.
"There’s not a law for that," Chief Drake stated, while he confessed that if he had known of Hale's intentions "then we would have tried to get those weapons."