A search of Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale’s home uncovered a trove of eerie items that were seized by police, including shotguns, old yearbooks from The Covenant School, and a suicide note, according to a search warrant obtained by The Daily Beast.
The search, carried out Monday, led detectives to seize 47 items in total. It’s the latest development in cops’ probe into what drove Hale, 28, to gun down three kids and three staffers at the private Christian school on March 27.
Included in the seizure were five yearbooks from The Covenant School and a “school photo” from there, the warrant said. Cops previously said the shooter attended the small religious school as a kid and that “resentment” toward teachers there may have driven Hale to kill.
Cops wrote that they seized a Browning shotgun and “miscellaneous” firearm accessories in a shoe box, both of which were in a closet, as well as a Winchester shotgun that was resting next to a desk. Authorities said Hale legally purchased seven guns in total, but used only three—two assault rifles and a handgun—to fire 152 rounds during the attack.
Cops wrote that they recovered more than two dozen writings from Hale, including memoirs, journals, and a suicide note.
Also recovered were three folders and nine journals allegedly filled with writings about “school shootings” and “firearms courses” that were stowed under Hale’s bed.
While Nashville cops have yet to reveal a specific motive for Hale’s massacre, the department said Monday that Hale planned to “commit mass murder” at the school “over a period of months,” documenting his intentions in journals.
Other items seized from Hale’s home included home videos from the basement, targets and ammo boxes from a closet, as well as multiple electronics, car keys, healthcare cards, a “psych folder,” and a résumé.
Even with the items seized, a police spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Monday that cops aren’t ready to declare an exact motive for Hale’s assault.