(New York Post) Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale sent a friend a chilling “suicide note” minutes before slaughtering three children and three adults – writing her: “I’m planning to die today.”
Hale, 28, messaged Averianna Patton, her former middle school basketball teammate, on Instagram at 9:57 a.m. Monday, NewsChannel 5 reported.
“So basically that post I made on here about you, that was basically a suicide note. I’m planning to die today,” Hale wrote, using the name Aiden, according to messages Patton gave the outlet.
Nashville mass shooter Audrey Hale sent her friend a series of chilling messages on Instagram minutes before launching her deadly attack inside The Covenant School.AP
“THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!” wrote Hale, who identified as transgender. “You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die.”
Hale added: “This is my last goodbye. I love you … See you again in another life.” She signed the missive “Audrey (Aiden).”
Patton replied: “Audrey! You have so much more life to live. I pray God keeps and covers you.”
Hale messaged Averianna Patton (pictured), her former middle school basketball teammate, on Instagram, according to reports.Facebook / Averianna Patton
Audrey Hale sent her friend Averianna Patton a series of chilling messages on Instagram telling her she planned to die.Submitted
In response, Hale wrote: “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.”
She added: “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.”
Moments later, Hale shot out the front doors of The Covenant School, a private Christian academy, and walked inside clutching two assault rifles and a handgun.
She gunned down three 9-year-olds and three staffers before she was fatally shot by police at 10:27 a.m. — 14 minutes after they received a call about an active shooter.
“I tried to comfort and encourage her and subsequently reached out to the Suicide Prevention Help Line after being instructed to by my father at 10:08 a.m.,” Patton told NewsChannel 5.
“Audrey has shared with others that she had been suicidal in the past and I knew to take this serious [sic],” she added.
