Nashville Mayor Investigates Unauthorized Release of Covenant School Shooter’s Documents
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has announced an investigation into the unauthorized release of three images from the documents of the Covenant school shooter. The release of these images occurred after conservative radio host Steven Crowder made the documents public on Monday.
Mayor O’Connell has directed Wally Dietz, Metro’s Law Director, to initiate an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the release of these images. The investigation may involve local, state, and federal authorities. O’Connell expressed deep concern for the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are mourning the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the Metro Nashville Police Department is aware of the situation but cannot confirm the authenticity of the leaked documents. NewsChannel 5 is continuing to verify whether the documents were indeed written by the shooter.
The Covenant School shooting took the lives of three children and three adults. The shooter died after being confronted by the police.
Attorney David Raybin, who represents the shooter’s family, stated that neither he nor his clients have seen the so-called manifesto and are in no position to authenticate the released documents. Due to pending litigation, he refrained from making any further comments regarding the matter.
The day of the shooting, the shooter sent an Instagram message to a former middle school basketball teammate, revealing the plan to die by suicide and mentioning that the teammate would witness it on the news. The shooter expressed the need to die and no longer wanting to live. Numerous items, including guns, a suicide note, and journals, were collected by the police during searches conducted at the shooter’s car and home. Currently, all the documents are in police custody, and it remains uncertain if and when they will be released to the families.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake previously stated that the department would release the Covenant School shooter documents if court-ordered. Metro’s legal attorney Lora B. Fox acknowledged that the city must address the release of documents at some point. She emphasized the need for the involved parties to be heard, as the criminal investigation would eventually become public record under existing case law.
The documents are currently part of a pending lawsuit involving five different parties. Recently, motions were granted for The Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church, and the affected families to intervene in the discussion on the release of the shooter’s documents. Although they are not solely responsible for the final decision, their opinions will be considered in the legal discussion.
MNPD officers have filed declarations, expressing that analyzing the shooter’s documents may take up to a year. The declarations state that the investigation into the mass shooting, which claimed the lives of six people, including the shooter, is still ongoing and not automatically closed.
The court case has garnered significant attention since its inception. The Covenant School parents filed statements expressing the potential harm that could arise from releasing the shooter’s documents. Five groups, including the Tennessee Firearms Association, National Police Association, the Tennessee Star, The Tennessean newspaper, and Sen. Todd Gardenhire, have continuously advocated for the release of all the documents. Their involvement prompted the case to be taken to an appeals court.
According to Metro Police, the shooter had multiple journals outlining plans for the shooting and had been planning the attack for months. The writings and documents, still in possession of the Metro Nashville Police Department, are expected to be transferred to the newly established Covenant Children’s Trust.
A three-judge panel in the appeals court is currently deliberating on whether Covenant parents have a say in the case.
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