Friend says she contacted authorities after speaking to Nashville shooter Audrey Hale on morning of attack

A chum of Nashville faculty shooter Audrey Hale tells ABC News that she contacted native authorities on Monday morning after Hale messaged her on-line about “planning to die today” — however that the authorities did not come to talk to her till after the attack had taken position.

Hale, 28, shot and killed 3 kids and 3 adults in a mass taking pictures on the Covenant School Monday sooner than being killed by way of responding cops, in accordance to authorities. Police stated Hale can have prior to now attended the varsity.

Paige Patton, a Nashville radio host who is going by way of the identify Averianna, instructed ABC News that stated she performed basketball with Hale in 8th grade and remained in occasional touch with Hale.

She stated used to be contacted Monday morning by way of Hale, who instructed her, “I’m planning to die today. This is not a joke. You will probably hear about me on the news after I die.”

“This is my last goodbye,” Hale wrote, in accordance to Patton. “I love you, see you again in another life.”

Patton stated she messaged Hale again, announcing, “Audrey, you have so much more life to live.'”

“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,” Hale replied, in accordance to Patton.

Patton stated she despatched her father a screenshot of Hale’s messages and requested him if she must name any individual. Her father stated sure and advisable that she name the suicide prevention line, Patton instructed ABC News.

She spoke to any individual on the suicide prevention line who steered she name native authorities, in accordance to Patten. When she did, they stated they might ship any individual out to her location to evaluation the screenshots, Patton stated.

But Patton stated no person got here to see the messages themselves till that afternoon, after the taking pictures had taken position.

“The call stamp was 3:29 when someone finally had come to see the screenshots and see if they could, like, ping that Instagram [account] or whatnot,” Patton instructed ABC News.

Patton stated that Hale and her had been “more so acquaintances” than pals, however Hale would come to quite a lot of occasions that Patton hosted round Nashville, and that Hale, a graphic dressmaker, would post drawings of Patton on social media.

Patton stated she had heard through the years that Hale used to be suicidal, whilst she described Hale as “happy” and “feisty” on the basketball courtroom.

She stated she does not know why Hale used to be suffering, and wasn’t conscious of any problems referring to Hale’s gender identification. A police spokesperson instructed ABC News that Hale, who used to be assigned feminine at beginning, had a social media account that incorporated the use of the pronouns he/him.

“I knew she liked girls, but I didn’t know anything about the preference of the he/she or switching over or transgender … I only know her as Audrey,” Patton instructed ABC News.

On her efforts to alert authorities, Patton stated, “I just wanted to get help — I didn’t really know the severity of it. Just something in me told me, like, ‘You need to make these phone calls. You need to do what needs to be done.’ And I did the best I could.”

Patton stated that after she first heard Audrey used to be 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.'”

“My heart is just … it’s just … I’m speechless,” Patton stated of the attack. “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.”

If you or any individual is suffering with ideas of suicide, unfastened, confidential assist is to be had 24 hours an afternoon, 7 days per week. Call or textual content the nationwide lifeline at 988.