Norma Fort Hale, the mother of the Nashville school shooting suspect, Audrey Haley, has been linked to previous social media posts calling for gun control. Hale reportedly reposted a petition calling for the “Keep Guns out of Schools” initiative by the Sandy Hook Promise, calling it “so important”. The reports have since been taken down, and attempts to reach Hale for comment have not been successful. Haley is accused of the murder of six people during a shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. It was reported that Haley left a manifesto and researched sites for the shooting. Haley’s neighbours have described the suspect as a “quiet” individual from a family that appeared to have no interest in guns or shooting ranges.
Police initially described Haley as a woman, but it has now been confirmed that Haley was a transgender man who used he/him pronouns. The suspected shooter forced his way into the private Christian elementary school, armed with several assault-style weapons. The victims of the shooting were three adults and three students. The motive for the shooting is at present not publicly disclosed.
The shooting has raised questions about gun control, with Hale’s previous social media posts on this topic being brought to light. However, the family of the suspected shooter has shown no sign of being interested in guns, and the tragedy has shocked both the neighbourhood and the family. Haley reportedly attended the Covenant School previously, although it has been reported that she was very shy, so few remember her.
The Covenant School has closed after the shooting, and face-to-face learning has been cancelled for the rest of the week. Hundreds of parents attended a meeting to discuss the tragedy; no plan for reopening the school has been disclosed at this stage. Reports suggest that it is unlikely that the school will reopen in the near future. The Governor of Tennessee has offered condolences to the victims’ families, and the FBI has been called to investigate the tragedy.
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