Southeast
Covenant School trans shooter plotted Nashville attack for years, kept notebooks with plans: final report
FIRST ON FOX: Nashville police have released their final report on the Covenant School massacre – a targeted March 2023 attack on a Christian school by a transgender shooter who killed three third-graders and three adults.
Rather than a highly anticipated manifesto, the report found that killer Audrey Hale left behind numerous notebooks, art books and computer documents about her plans to commit the attack and gain notoriety, partly inspired by the Columbine school shooting in 1999.
Hale, the 28-year-old attacker and biological female, began “fantasizing” about and researching mass shootings as far back as 2017, according to investigators. A year later, she wrote “detailed fantasies” about shooting up the Isaac T. Creswell Middle Magnet School for the Arts, killing her father and killing her psychiatrist.
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Audrey Hale wrote in notebooks, journals and diaries for years, between 2017 and 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
“In this case, a manifesto didn’t exist,” the document reads. “Hale never left behind a single document explaining why she committed the attack, why she specifically targeted The Covenant, and what she hoped to gain, if anything, with the attack.”
Instead, her motivations were scattered across those many notebooks and other writings, investigators found. They included an image showing more than two-dozen notebooks seized from Hale’s car and bedroom. They also said she left a suicide note addressed to her parents.
Read the Nashville police report:
“In short, the motive determined over the course of the investigation was notoriety,” according to investigators. “Even though numerous disappointments in relationships, career aspirations, and independence fueled her depression, and even though this depression made her highly suicidal, this doesn’t explain the attack. As Hale wrote on several occasions, if suicide was her goal then she would have simply killed herself.”
Hale wanted people to remember her after her death, according to the document, and was partly inspired by books and documentaries on the Columbine killers. She wanted similar records of her own life and expected her guns, artwork and journals to be preserved in museums around the world.
“Most disturbingly, she wanted the things she left behind to be shared with the world so she could inspire and teach others who were ‘mentally disordered’ like her to plan and commit an attack of their own,” investigators wrote.
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Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale walks past the Children’s Ministry desk. (Twitter @MNPDNashville)
Because of Hale’s consistent diaries over a period of years, police said they were able to collect far more information about her than in a typical investigation. They found no evidence of accomplices and said she wanted to prove her “superiority.”
The Covenant School was attached to a church that Hale once attended, and she chose the target because of her connection to it, because children wouldn’t put up a fight, and because she wanted to obtain infamy, according to police.
She killed three 9-year-olds: the pastor’s daughter Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney. The three adults she killed were 60-year-old Head of School Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Mike Hill, 61.
Her biggest fear in the attack, at 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 120 pounds, was running into a “hero” who could physically overpower her and force her to be captured alive.
So she settled on an elementary school that she described as the setting for her “happiest” childhood memories.
Memorials for the six victims who were killed in a mass shooting are placed outside of The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. (KR/Mega for Fox News Digital)
“She never remarked of being bullied and ostracized there; on the contrary, she remarked on a couple of occasions how she established friendships, which included play-dates at the homes of other children and a sense of acceptance,” police revealed. “She gave no examples of how anyone at the school belittled her or harmed her, as she did in other places she attended school. Because of this, Hale felt The Covenant was the perfect place to commit an attack, as it was the perfect setting for her death.”
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A homemade shirt made by Audrey Hale and found in her bedroom. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
The killer also had plans for “B” and “C” targets – the Opry Mills Mall and a stretch of Belmont Boulevard near Belmont University campus in Nashville. If her parents discovered her plans, she decided she would kill them and attack the Belmont target, according to investigators.
She spent months practicing at the firing range and painted the phrase “Dark Abyss” on her clothes and guns. That was the name she had given to her depression.
But the attack was delayed multiple times, including once after the death of a close friend in a car crash.
The Covenant School shooting tragically claimed the lives of six victims—three children and three adults. (Metro Nashville Police Department)
Hale, who began using the name “Aiden Williams” in the years before her death, was killed by responding officers in harrowing bodycam video.
“Hale felt she would be a failure if she killed less than 10 people during the attack. In that respect, she did fail, in no small part due to the actions of the faculty and staff at The Covenant,” police wrote. “But she managed to attain the notoriety she craved simply by self-documenting her life and actions in a way no other mass killer has done before.”
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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Keegan Bradley traveled to Augusta National Golf Club as the reigning America’s Ryder Cup captain.
On Wednesday, the 38-year-old participated in one of the historic course’s annual traditions — the Masters Par 3 Contest. The contest, which dates back to 1960, offers golf pros the opportunity to participate in a lighthearted session shortly before the real competition tees off.
Past Masters champions are also invited to play on a nine-hole course. Participants often include their caddies, relatives, and children to play alongside them on the shortened course.
Apr 9, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Keegan Bradley smiles as he walks off no. 9 during the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club. (Grace Smith-Imagn Images)
Bradley had his two young sons with him this year. The trio enjoyed a special father-son moment when he made a hole-in-one. A few near misses early on couldn’t keep Bradley off track, as he made the contest’s first ace on Hole 6 on Wednesday.
Bradley’s mustache also returned just in time for the first major tournament of the season.
Apr 9, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Keegan Bradley walks past patrons during the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club. (Michael Madrid-Imagn Images)
Bradley jokingly suggested the facial hairstyle could bring him good luck.
“I shaved it off and I played two weeks and did not play well at all, so I had to bring it back,” he said in jest during the broadcast of the contest.
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Bradley’s best finish at Augusta National happened last year and in 2015 when he tied for 22nd.
The Par 3 Contest has produced 112 holes-in-one over the past 65 years. Last year, five participants made an ace. Sam Snead won the inaugural Par 3 contest in 1960.
Apr 9, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Keegan Bradley directs his son Logan James and Cooper during the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club. (Peter Casey-Imagn Images)
Fan support for Bradley has seemed to be steadily rising recently. Although he is the current Ryder Cup captain, he was snubbed in 2023. His reaction to being rebuffed was chronicled on the Netflix docuseries “Full Swing.” Bradley’s handling of the situation helped make him one of the most beloved golfers on the PGA Tour.
The first round of the 89th edition of the Masters begins on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Southeast
Florida city criminalizes illegal immigration in historic move to enforce Trump, DeSantis mission
The city of Jacksonville, Florida, ignited an immigration firestorm, criminalizing illegal entry as a city council member touted the “public safety” benefits.
Fox News Digital spoke with at-large Jacksonville City Council member Nick Howland on the city’s ordinance #2025-0147, known as the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, which was passed by the city council 12-5 last week and signed into law on Tuesday.
“We are the first city in the country to enact this kind of bill,” Howland said. “We’re standing with our president, with our governor, with our state legislature to secure our borders, to reverse the Biden wave of illegal immigration and to keep our streets and our neighborhoods safe.”
The bill not only criminalizes illegal immigration but also allocates resources to help the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identify individuals without legal status.
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City leaders passed the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act. (Visit Jacksonville)
One of the main resources listed in the bill was a request for 25 mobile fingerprint scanners for law enforcement.
The legislation will also make it a local crime for undocumented immigrants to enter or reside in the city of Jacksonville. First-time offenders face a mandatory 30-day jail sentence, while repeat offenders could receive up to 60 days in jail.
“There are two main parts to the bill. The first is what we’ve already discussed; it criminalizes entering or residing in Duval County if you are an illegal immigrant. The second part focuses on determining whether someone is in the country illegally,” he said.
Sheriff T.K. Waters said this move helps the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Howland said, like most sheriff’s offices and police departments, Jacksonville uses fingerprint readers.
“This bill helps [Jacksonville] Sheriff T.K. Waters determine how many additional fingerprint readers are needed to equip every patrol unit operating 24/7 throughout the city and county,” he said.
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Jacksonville covers over 800 square miles, and the bill allocates $76,000 for 25 more fingerprint readers.
“That will bring the department’s total to just over 150, roughly one for every patrol,” he said. “This is critical because it gives the sheriff another tool in the toolbox.”
READ THE ORDINANCE HERE – APP USERS CLICK HERE
In 2024, 602 undocumented immigrants were detained in Duval County. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took custody of 334 for deportation, according to the legislation, written by City Council member Kevin Carrico. The rest either served their time or were released on bail.
Among those 334 deportation cases, there were 94 charges for battery, 140 for DUI, as well as cases involving murder and sexual assault.
“This is, at the end of the day, a public safety bill,” Howland said. “This is keeping people off the streets that would otherwise endanger our community. And we need to know when someone is legal or illegal and the fingerprint readers help.”
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan spoke out against the ordinance at a press conference on April 2, 2025. (City of Jacksonville)
While proponents of the law, like Howland, have boasted about its potential impact on public safety, others have criticized it for its redundancy and the implementation of “stop and frisk” policies.
“It has always been my position that we will provide the equipment and resources they need. So they will receive the funding for the 25 fingerprint scanners that have been requested. I wish that alone had been all 2025-147 was,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news conference.
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“But it’s not. Instead, it includes language that is hurtful and performative but not substantive,” she said. “There is nothing in this bill that isn’t already required by federal or state law. And in fact, the state law already carries a harsher penalty. So why would JSO need to arrest someone under a new local ordinance when they already have a stronger state law?”
Deegan noted that the city has had an agreement with ICE since 2008 and that sanctuary cities have been banned in the Sunshine State since 2019.
“Any suggestion to the contrary is intentionally misleading,” she said. “On top of it being redundant, this bill puts our local government in a lane where it doesn’t belong. Courts have repeatedly ruled that immigration enforcement is a function of the federal government.”
At-large Jacksonville City Council member Nick Howland said the legislation is “at the end of the day, a public safety bill.” (Visit Jacksonville)
Howland said that even if there are already laws on the books, this adds additional support and flexibility for local police, which makes it worthwhile.
“There’s nothing redundant about giving police another tool in their toolbox to ensure we have safe streets and neighborhoods,” he said.
He said the new city ordinance goes a step further than state and federal laws, making it a local offense to enter or reside within Jacksonville as an illegal migrant. It gives Jacksonville authorities more power to enforce immigration violations locally, he said.
“This allows the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to use the new law to detain individuals a bit longer, long enough to potentially turn them over to ICE,” he said.
“Why is that important? As I mentioned, over 600 people were detained last year, but only 334 were referred to ICE for deportation. With this law, the sheriff’s office can hold individuals longer if they’ve broken the law by entering the country illegally. That means we can increase the number of cases referred to ICE for potential deportation, if necessary.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office saw a massive drop in violent crime in 2024. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the department has seen firsthand the consequences of “failed border policies on public safety.”
“The Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act provides our agency with additional tools and resources to help address those threats and ensure that offenders are held accountable,” he told Fox News Digital. “Furthermore, it sends a clear message that Jacksonville will not be a sanctuary for criminals who enter our country illegally.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
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A Florida police officer is recovering after an illegal immigrant crashed into his patrol car last week.
Belle Isle police officer Jacob Tapia was injured on April 3 after Paula Hernandez Lazaro crashed into his patrol vehicle after failing to yield while making a left turn. Lazaro, who was driving without a license, hit Tapia’s car so hard that it went off the road and collided with a tree and a fence.
The officer was treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center for minor injuries and was released the same day.
“He’s expected to make a full recovery and will be following up to ensure there are no lingering issues,” the department said.
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A police officer in Belle Isle, Florida, was injured last week when an illegal alien crashed into his patrol vehicle after failing to yield while turning left. (Belle Isle Police Department)
The department said this was the second time Lazaro was cited for driving without a license.
Upon further investigation, Belle Isle police discovered Lazaro was in the United States illegally. She was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle without a valid license and unauthorized entry into Florida.
Belle Isle Police Chief Travis Grimm told FOX 35 Orlando that the Florida Highway Patrol is handling the investigation.
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Paula Hernandez Lazaro entered the U.S. illegally through Texas and has been living in Florida for about 11 years. (Belle Isle Police Department)
Lazaro’s citizenship status was looked into when she handed a state trooper her Mexican passport without a stamp for entry into the U.S. She has been living in Florida for about 11 years and entered the country illegally through Texas.
Grimm said Florida Highway Patrol troopers have undergone the training necessary to handle and arrest suspected illegal immigrants.
“FHP has gone through the training already with ICE,” Grimm said. “I don’t want to speak on their behalf, but they’ve already gotten the clearance and the latitude to be able to use those authorities.”
Paula Hernandez Lazaro has been cited two times for driving without a license, Belle Isle police said. (Belle Isle Police Department)
Belle Isle police thanked the community for checking in on the injured officer over the past week.
“Your support means the world to him and to all of us. It’s genuinely amazing to serve a community that cares so deeply about its police officers,” the department wrote on Facebook.
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