The Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale expressed “heartbreak” over the 2022 passing of a student basketball teammate with whom she had been “infatuated.”
“Tomboyish” Hale had been greatly impacted by Sydney Sims’ passing, according to Samira Hardcastle, who spoke to The Post. Sydney Sims was died in a car accident in August 2022, according to an obituary.
Both the girls’ middle school and high school friend Hardcastle recalled that Audrey was “really heartbroken over it” following Sydney’s tragic demise. Simply put, I think she interpreted it differently than some of us did. She continued to write about Sydney almost every day.
“What I knew of her was more admiring [Sydney]. Maybe even infatuation. That’s specifically who she really, really looked up to.”
Hale, who police said was transgender and had started to identify using he/him pronouns, posted a TikTok in February on a since-deleted account, “iam_aiden10,” dedicated to “Syd.”
The video footage displayed a basketball being bounced by a shadowy figure with the words, “For Syd. When I glance up, I see a clear sky. It’s a lovely day. You should be here, please.
Hardcastle claimed that she had last seen Audrey a month prior when they had both gone to a radio show recording of their friend Avieranna Patton. Audrey shot her way into her former primary school on Monday, killing three 9-year-olds and three staff members.
“I don’t think she was with anyone. She was just kind of by herself,” Hardcastle said, adding, “I don’t think that they were very close but I think Audrey looked up to [her] like she looked up to Sydney. But I don’t know that it was ever, like, a two-way thing.”
The final individual Hale spoke to before going on a shooting rampage was Patton, who received a note from Hale that read, “This is my last farewell. I adore you. I’ll see you in another existence.
She also described Patton as “the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and known all my life,” adding, “My family doesn’t know what I’m about to do. One day this will make more sense. I’ve left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen.”
