Autopsy: Covenant school shooter struck by 4 bullets; toxicology report released

Craig Shoup, Kirsten Fiscus and Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·1 min read
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NASHVILLE − An autopsy report released Monday by the Davidson County Medical Examiner shows Middle Tennessee mass school shooter Audrey Hale died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Hale, 28, fatally shot three adults and three children March 27 at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville. Hale was pronounced dead at the scene.

Metro Nashville officers struck Hale three times, one shot striking the torso and left arm, a second the head and third the right thigh. Hale’s right shoulder was also grazed by a bullet. After striking Hale, officers used tourniquets in an attempt to stop Hale's external bleeding.

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156 rounds fired in shooting

In total, police said Hale fired 156 rounds — 126 from two assault rifles.

An analysis from Hale’s blood “did not reveal any positive findings of toxicological significance.”

The toxicology test searched for 16 different substances, including amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, methamphetamine, opiates and ethanol.

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The morning of the mass shooting

Hale pulled into the school's parking lot around 9:53 a.m. March 27.

Around 10:11 a.m., Hale, fired from their assault rifle through a glass door, fatally striking custodian Mike Hill, 61.

Metro Nashville Police received a call for an active shooter approximately two minutes later. Within 10 minutes, police were on site, clearing classrooms and searching for Hale.

Also killed in the shooting: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all age 9. Also, Cynthia Peak, 61 and Katherine Koonce, 60.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee school shooter autopsy: Audrey Hale struck by 4 bullets