The 28-year-old woman who killed six people, including three children, at a Nashville Christian elementary school on Monday sent a chilling series of messages to a friend moments before she committed her act of terror.
The shooter — whom the Daily Wire will not name in accordance with company policy — sent the messages to her former middle school basketball teammate Averianna Patton over Instagram. Patton saw the disturbing messages, which she provided to News Channel 5, at 9:57 a.m., around 15 minutes before the shooter entered the school.
“I’m planning to die today. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!!” the shooter wrote to Patton. “You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die.”
The messages show that Patton pled with the shooter, a biological female who claimed to be a man, telling her that she had so much to live for, but the killer responded with even more chilling texts.
“My family doesn’t know what I’m about to do,” she said. “One day this will make more sense. I’ve left more than enough evidence behind. … But something bad is about to happen.”
Patton told News Channel 5 that she asked her dad what to do and then reached out to authorities immediately after messaging the shooter.
“After phone calls from friends and [the shooter’s] name was released as the shooter at Covenant Nashville school, I learned that [she] was the shooter and that she had reached out to me prior to the shooting,” Patton said. “My heart is with all of the families affected and I’m devastated by what has happened.”
Officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department responded within minutes after the shooter breached the Covenant School in what authorities described as a “targeted attack.” A team of five officers immediately rushed into the building, and two of the cops exchanged fire with the shooter, killing her at the scene.
Authorities confirmed at a press conference that the female shooter identified as a man.
On Monday afternoon, local authorities along with the FBI searched the home of the female shooter. During the search, law enforcement said they found “a manifesto” along with maps of the school drawn in detail that included points of entry. The police chief said authorities have a theory on the shooter’s motive, but they are not ready to share it yet.