Nashville police said yesterday that Audrey Hale, who carried out the Monday massacre of six people, including three children, at a Christian private school in the Tennessee capital, was carrying seven pistols and was being monitored by a doctor for psychological problems. the cocktail that was behind other similar tragedies in USA.

Two assault rifles and a handgun used yesterday by the 28-year-old murderer at Covenant School, a small private elementary school in the southern part of the state capital, were purchased legally, along with the rest of her arsenal, said Nashville Police Chief John Drake.

Audrey Hale, who attended the school, was shot and killed by police in a relatively short amount of time, but after killing three children, two girls and a boy between the ages of 8 and 9, and three employees, including the director.

After describing her as a young woman, law enforcement determined that she was a transgender person who used male pronouns when referring to herself online.

The perpetrator was “observed by a doctor” because he had “psychological problems”, but she was unknown to the police, as well as the “motive” of the massacre, according to the police chief.

The day before, he spoke of a “targeted” attack on a school, detailed plans found in the attacker’s home, her/his possible “malice” against a school oriented towards traditional Christian values.

“More Evil”

Everything can become clearer if you study the writings left by Audrey Hale. During a search of her home, police officers found a text that they called the “manifesto”.

Before getting down to business, he sent a message to warn that “something bad” was about to happen. “I left more than enough evidence.”

An intruder broke into her old school by shooting and breaking the glass door. CCTV footage shows an armed figure entering the building.

The police also released a body-camera video of their members intervening to end the massacre yesterday. Police officers are shown walking down corridors decorated with children’s drawings and shooting Audrey Hale several times, who passes out.

She was pronounced dead at 10:27 am. According to the police, she was carrying a large amount of ammunition, preparing to “cause even more damage.”

Residents in shock

As Nashville residents are in shock, the political class shared their sentiment but, as usual, was divided on the issue of guns, with Democratic President Joe Biden reiterating his call to Congress to ban assault rifle sales, which Republican elected officials reject. .

In the absence of better oversight, schools should review their safety protocols.

But you can’t expect schools to “do security checks,” Nina Dyson, a mother of four, said yesterday as she took part in a rally in Nashville with the central demand for stricter gun control.

“Parents across the country have been demanding change for decades, but there has been none,” he added.

There are about 400 million firearms in the U.S., resulting in more than 45,000 deaths in 2020 from homicides, accidents and suicides, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For the first time this year, firearms were the leading cause of death for young people aged 1 to 19, with 4,368 deaths, ahead of traffic accidents and drug overdoses, according to the CDC.

However, most Americans consider it an inherent “right” to bear arms, and there have been voices criticizing the school for not employing armed private security.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}