School shooter Audrey Hale was allegedly rejected by family members over their trans identity before gunning down six innocent people in a senseless rampage.
The bombshell claims come as the US reels from yet another massacre, after Hale shot dead three children and three adults inside Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, at 10.13am on Monday.
Now, a source has claimed the 28-year-old – who was shot dead by police – had a strained relationship with religious parents Norma, 61, and Ronald, 64, after coming out as gay and transgender.
The source told the Daily Mail the devout Christian parents “couldn’t accept” their child’s new identity, which included going by the name Aiden and using he/him pronouns.
The source also alleged that the parents would not allow Hale to dress as a male under their roof.
“You only see what you want to see. Their religion does not allow them to accept homosexuality,” the insider told the publication.
“She was Audrey at home but when she left the house she changed clothes. They did know about it, they just didn’t accept it.”
The new claims come after police confirmed the graphic designer had intended to carry out other attacks, including against her relatives and innocent people in a local shopping mall.
“We’ve talked to the father and the mother. We searched the home and found two more weapons and more maps, pertaining to thinking about some other incidents,” police chief John Drake told CBS.
In this screen grab from surveillance video tweeted by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Audrey Elizabeth Hale points an assault-style weapon inside The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 27, 2023. Image / AP
“We strongly believe there were going to be some other targets, including family members, and one of the malls here in Nashville and it just did not happen.”
The allegations back up claims made by Drake after the shooting, after he told NBC News Hale may have been driven by a sense of “resentment”.
“There’s some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school,” he told the network, as authorities began investigating whether Hale’s gender identity may have been a factor in the attack.
“We’re investigating all the leads,” Drake said of the theory.
Hale’s 9-year-old victims have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and Williams Kinney.
Custodian Mike Hill, 61, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and headmaster Katherine Koonce, 60, were also killed in the attack.
‘I don’t want to be an only child’
Meanwhile, a minister has revealed the shattered older sister of one of the young victims sobbed as she declared: “I don’t want to be an only child” as the reality of her loss set in.
The revelation was made by an emotional Woodmont Christian Church senior minister Clay Stauffer during a vigil on Monday night, who said Eleanor Dieckhaus and her family were devastated by the loss of young Evelyn.
He added it was unlikely they would have been able to remove Hales’ guns before the attack even if there was a concern, as there was “not a law for that”, but stressed police “had absolutely no idea” Hale posed a threat.
‘Planning to die today’
It has also emerged that Hale messaged former teammate Averianna Patton on Instagram on the morning of the massacre.
The exchange came at 9.57am, 16 minutes before the shooting, local TV station News Channel 5 reported.
“I’m planning to die today,” Hale wrote to Patton.
“THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!
“You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die.
“This is my last goodbye. I love you … See you again in another life.”
Hale signed off the message as “Audrey (Aiden).”
Patton replied that Audrey had “so much more life to live”.
Hale replied: “I know but I don’t want to live. I’m so sorry. I’m not trying to upset you or get attention. 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.
“My family doesn’t know what I’m about to do. One day this will make more sense. I’ve left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen.”
Police have also confirmed Hale cancelled plans to target another school in the same area as it had too much security.
Police have given unclear information on Hale’s gender. For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. At a late afternoon press conference, the police chief said Hale was transgender. After the news conference, police spokesperson Don Aaron declined to elaborate on how Hale identified.
