The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, was the site of a horrific mass shooting on Monday, carried out by a former student identified by police as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. 

Hale, who may have attended the school as a child, took two assault rifles and pistols to commit the senseless act of terror, murdering three 9-year-old children and at least three adults. 

She was killed in a shootout with police while holed up on the school’s second floor, cementing her place as the seventh female mass shooter in US history.

Hale’s background and life before the shooting are now coming to light. A website associated with her indicates that she was a graphic designer and illustrator based in Nashville who specialized in creating logos and branding for companies. 

Her mother, Norma Hale, spoke briefly to ABC News and expressed the family’s grief. A neighbor described Audrey Hale’s parents as “very nice” and “very religious,” and said that Audrey lived with them at their home.

Audrey Hale graduated from Nashville’s Nossi College of Art & Design in 2022, where she was a talented artist and a good student, according to the school’s president and CEO. 

A post on the college’s Facebook page that has since been removed indicated that she had earned at least one award for strong academic performance. 

On her personal website, Hale described herself as enjoying video games, movies, sports, and spending time with her two cats.

Hale’s LinkedIn account also lists work as a part-time grocery shopper with the food delivery service Shipt and past employment as a cat sitter. 

Her social media accounts used the pronouns he/him, although a police spokesperson stated that Audrey was assigned female at birth.

The Covenant School, where the shooting took place, is a private Presbyterian school in Nashville with around 200 students in pre-K through sixth grade. 

The shooting has shocked the community and the nation, prompting calls for action to address gun violence in America. 

As details of Audrey Hale’s life and motivations emerge, the tragedy raises questions about mental health, access to firearms, and the need for support and resources to prevent future acts of violence.