Nashville shooting: Though ‘unfit’ to own weapons, suspect ‘legally’ bought 7 guns prior to attack

Audrey Hale, the suspect behind the Tennessee school attack, legally purchased seven firearms before going on the devastating shooting spree. These firearms were purchased legally from five different stores prior to the tragic attack that claimed the lives of three children and three adults, John Drake, chief of Police at the Metro Nashville Police Department revealed on Tuesday.

Hale's family mentioned that the 28-year-old had beenreceiving treatment for an ‘emotional disorder’ and was unfit to ‘own weapons’,Drake told reporters.

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"Her parents felt she should not own weapons," said Drake, adding that the shooter "had been hiding several weapons within the house."

Police, as per reports, are still attempting to find the motive behind the attack. However, Drake said that the shooter didn't target anyparticular individual.

The police chief also said that the police had "no reason" to remove the suspect's weapon andthat "there's no law for that". He was alluding to the fact that Tennessee does not have a so-called red flag law that allows officials to remove firearms from those they consider to be a potential danger to those around them or themselves.

However, the Nashville police chief added that if it had been made known to them, they would have "tried" to get those weapons.

But he said that they "had absolutely no idea" that Audrey Hale posed any danger, as the suspect was not on the police radar in any way before Monday.

Hale, who identified as transgender, on Monday (28 March) opened fire at a convent school in Nashville, Tennessee, killing six individuals: three nine-year-old children Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, along with 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, and61-year-old Mike Hill. Hale was killed in the ensuing police crossfire.

(With inputs from agencies)

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