Moments before driving to Covenant School and claiming the lives of six people in Monday’s (March 27) Nashville, Tennessee mass shooting, the suspect, Audrey Hale, sent an old friend a series of cryptic messages.

Averianna Patton and Hale, 28, were previously on the same middle school basketball team together. The two grew apart over the years and were not as close as adults, but still kept in touch on occasion, Patton confirmed during a live interview with ABC News yesterday (March 28). She added that she’s still not sure why Hale reached out to her just before the deadly attack. “So basically that post I made on here about you, that was basically a suicide note. I’m planning to die today. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!!” Hale’s first Instagram message to Patton read. It was sent at 9:57 a.m. on the morning of the Nashville school shooting.

“You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die,” Hale wrote before following up with “This is my last goodbye. I love you. See you again in another life. Audrey (Aiden).” By this time, Patton had read the messages and reached out to intervene and offer words of support, not knowing the terror that would soon follow. “Audrey! You have so much more life to live. I pray God keeps and covers you,” the former teammate responded. Patton said she then shared screenshots of the messages with her father, who suggested she contact a suicide prevention hotline. Unfortunately, since Patton was not the one with suicidal urges, the operator was unable to assist.

Still, Patton did more than most and contacted the Nashville Police Department at 10:13 a.m. Unbeknownst to her, they were already responding to calls that an active shooter was at the elementary school. Three students, Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney — all 9 years old — and three staff members — 60-year-old Head of School Katherine Koonce; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61, were gunned down. Hale was also shot and killed during a standoff with police.