Aid abuse emerged as a disturbing element in newly released FBI records tied to the 2023 Covenant School massacre in Nashville, raising fresh questions about federal oversight and accountability. The documents include writings from shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale that detail planning for the attack, hostility toward Christianity, and references to personal finances linked to federal student aid.
The FBI released more than 100 pages of Hale’s writings following litigation. Journal entries dating back to late 2021 outline preparations for a school shooting and list “Christian school (hate religion)” as a reason for targeting the Covenant School. Hale, 28, carried out the March 27, 2023, attack at the Christian elementary school she once attended, killing six people before Metro Nashville Police Department officers shot her dead.
Victims included staff members Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak, and Mike Hill, all 60 or older, along with nine-year-old students Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney. Surveillance footage showed Hale moving through the school armed with multiple firearms after entering through a side entrance.
Shortly before the attack, Hale texted a friend describing the shooting as a “suicide mission” and warning the friend would likely “hear about me on the news after I die,” according to official summaries.
Among the most troubling revelations tied to aid abuse is a handwritten document labeled “Account Savings Record.” The page references federal student financial aid, stating that “FAFSA [sic] grant checks started at $2,050.86,” alongside ledger-style entries from Nossi College of Art and Design, where Hale was enrolled. These financial notes appear next to detailed lists of firearms Hale planned to obtain.
The records align with earlier statements from Hale’s parents, who told investigators that federal Pell Grant money was used to purchase the weapons. Hale’s mother reportedly said grant eligibility was possible because Hale was over 25, enrolled as a student, and unemployed.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake previously confirmed investigators recovered a manifesto and hand-drawn maps from Hale’s vehicle. While some writings have been released, authorities continue to withhold the full manifesto, keeping key details of the aid abuse questions unresolved.
