Audrey Hale -- the Nashville school shooter who killed three children and three adults in 2023 -- committed the crime for fame and notoriety ... this according to police.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released its final report on the shooting after two years of investigations ... and, they claim Hale was motivated by a desire for notoriety.

Investigators note Hale wanted to die in a way that would matter and be remembered ... even studying the notoriety of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold after Colorado's Columbine High School shooting back in 1999.

Cops say Hale wrote that the two became "gods" after their attack, which killed 12 students and a teacher ... leading investigators to conclude Hale desired the same infamy.

Police claim Hale felt like a victim ... the same as the people who were ultimately killed in the shooting -- though, at other times, officers say Hale took on the view of being the "true victim" of the attack.

According to the report, Hale imagined books and documentaries dedicated to the shooting ... thinking the guns used in the slayings would someday find their way into a museum of some kind. In addition, Hale apparently hoped the notes about planning the Nashville shooting might inspire future shooters on how to carry out their own attacks.

The report debunks some popular theories about the shooting ... including claims Hale chose The Covenant School in order to make a point about religion. In fact, cops say Hale chose the school because Hale attended it -- and wanted to die somewhere that had once been a source of happiness.

Cops also say Hale didn't leave behind a manifesto by their definition ... as a singular document outlining motives and intentions of the shooting doesn't exist.

BTW ... police use "she/her" pronouns to describe Hale (as required by a Tennessee law about birth certificates) -- though they do note Hale privately used "he/him" pronouns on social media and in writings.