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An acquaintance of the Nashville private Christian school shooter said she called the police the morning tragedy struck the establishment after receiving a text saying, “I’m planning to die today.”
According to ABC News, Paige Patton, a city radio personality under the alias Averianna, got a text from 28-year-old Audrey Hale at 9:57 a.m., warning her about what would happen.
“I’m planning to die today. This is not a joke,” the texts read. “You will probably hear about me on the news after I die.”
About 13 minutes later, Hale shot through the doors of the Covenant School, unleashing hell on innocent people. According to CBS News, Hale killed three children and three adults: 9-year-old children Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs; 61-year-old adults Mike Hill and Cynthia Peak; and 60-year-old Katherine Koonce.
Patton told the outlet that she and Hale weren’t friends but acquaintances who occasionally kept in touch. They used to play on the same basketball team in eighth grade.
“This is my last goodbye,” Hale wrote in the message. “I love you; see you again in another life.”
“Audrey, you have so much more life to live,” Patton texted back.
“I know, but I don’t want to live; I’m so sorry,” Hale responded. “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.”
Patton sent screenshots of her conversation with Hale to her father, who instructed her to contact the suicide prevention hotline. They told Patton to call the local police. The dispatcher told Patton that police would cook at the messages and address the situation.
However, local authorities received a call about the shooting, which they tended to first. Later that afternoon, cops arrived at Patton’s place to see the messages.
“The calls tamp was 3:29 when someone finally had come to see the screenshots and see if they could, ping that Instagram [account] or whatnot,” Patton said.
Patton was unaware of the damage Hale caused to the town and was shocked to hear that Hale was the shooter.
“I literally was like, ‘I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this.’ And so I called my dad, and I was like, ‘Daddy, that was her,'” Patton recalled.
She continued, “My heart is just…it’s just…I’m speechless. It’s just so much to feel…the kids, and then the families, it’s a lot to try to wrap your head around. And to know that we don’t know what or why — it’s just crazy. It’s crazy.”
Patton told the outlet that she knew Hale was into girls but didn’t know she had changed her gender pronouns to he/him. She also didn’t know what the shooter was going through to kill people.
In addition to playing basketball together, Hale would attend events Patton hosted around Nashville. Hale would also draw Patton and post the art on social media.
Police said Hale bought seven firearms from five gun stores and used three during the attack. Hale lived with her parents at the time, who weren’t aware of the guns she purchased.