OAN’s Brooke Mallory
12:53 PM – Monday, November 6, 2023
Authorities in Nashville, Tennessee, announced that they are “aware” of the alleged release of excerpts from the much-anticipated manifesto that Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale kept in her vehicle.
Advertisement
Hale murdered three adults and three 9-year-olds at the Tennessee-based Christian school in March.
Verified papers showing the killer’s scribbled notes in what appear to be crime scene photos would help to explain why authorities quickly declared the slaughter “calculated and planned.”
According to court records released earlier this year, Hale maintained more than 20 journals with notes scribbled inside. Although authorities initially falsely characterized the shooter as a transgender woman, she was a biological woman who identified as a man named Aiden, making her a “transgender man.”
“We are aware of that assertion,” said a city police spokeswoman on Monday.
However, the spokeswoman also said that it was “too early” to confirm the authenticity of the notes and that authorities were currently investigating the matter.
Following the suspect’s death on the second floor of the school, documents were found in 28-year-old Hale’s vehicle, according to Nashville police. Yet, police, along with a few other school parents, have been battling in court to prevent the manifesto from being made public.
The city and police department of Nashville are also currently facing legal action from the National Police Association (NPA), which is requesting that the manifesto be made available to the public immediately.
The materials were not disclosed in court and officials informed press reporters that the case is still pending.
“I think it highlights the importance of getting the information out as soon as possible,” said Doug Pierce, a Tennessee attorney representing the NPA in the case.
If Pierce wins the case in court, more details should begin to surface.
“What was requested would include more than just these three pages,” he told reporters.
For months, the litigation has been dragged out. The question of whether Hale’s parents and the school have the right to become involved is currently awaiting a decision from an appeals court. The decision to make the complete manifesto public is still up in the air.
“It could go on,” Pierce maintained. “This could be years before we get it all resolved.”
The three leaked pages also barely constitute a small portion of the assailant’s thoughts.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced in a statement that the city will be looking into the possible leak in order to verify if the papers were in fact written by Hale.
“I have directed Wally Dietz, Metro’s Law Director, to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released,” O’Connell said. “That investigation may involve local, state, and federal authorities. I am deeply concerned with the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving.”
His office informed Fox News that it was unable to verify the documents’ authenticity since it did not have them.
Additionally, the FBI declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation, despite having received copies earlier this year for analysis.
Many online users on X (Twitter) took to the social media platform to express their thoughts regarding the purportedly leaked Hale manifesto and how it has been kept concealed and even “downplayed,” in their opinion.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts