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Why Police Aren’t Releasing Covenant School Shooter Manifesto
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The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has chosen to withhold crucial records and documents relating to the horrific Covenant School shooting, citing “pending litigation.”
Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old transgender individual, stormed the school on March 27, wielding two assault-style weapons and a handgun, brutally taking the lives of three students and three adult staff members.
The public, and especially politicians, have been clamoring for the release of the documents, including a chilling manifesto discovered in Hale’s possession.
Investigators found detailed maps at the scene, explicitly outlining the plan to attack the Covenant School. Even more disturbingly, police confirmed that other locations were also marked as targets.
The Tennessee Firearms Association’s lawsuit against Nashville’s police department has caused a delay in releasing the shooter’s personal documents.
The situation raises questions about transparency and the public’s right to access such records in a timely manner.
In defense of withholding the records, the Nashville government argues that the case remains “open.”
While it’s true that law enforcement or prosecutors typically wait to disclose information until charges are announced, it’s essential to remember that each case is different.
The lawsuit filed by Clata Renee Brewer highlights a 1986 court case, Memphis Publishing Company v. Holt, which determined that the same statute was not applicable because “the perpetrators in the unlawful activity had been killed in the police shoot out.”
Brewer’s lawsuit emphasizes that Nashville’s government has failed to identify any individuals or groups that might be subject to criminal prosecution related to the Covenant School incident.
The police department’s numerous comments to local and national media about some or all of the requested records contradict the existence of any such criminal prosecution.
Although the motive behind Hale’s actions remains unknown, Police Chief John Drake previously suggested that the shooter may have harbored “resentment” toward the school.
The six victims – three young students and three adult staff members – leave behind devastated families.
The public’s right to know, in cases like this, is crucial.
