A Tennessee judge ruled that the writings of a Nashville school shooter will not be made public due to the potential harm of releasing them during a pending criminal investigation. The March 2023 mass shooting at The Covenant School, where Audrey Hale killed three children and three staff members, left the motive unclear. Authorities described the writings as indicative of a mental health struggle and offered to release them once the investigation concluded. The dispute over the ownership of the writings involved media companies, family members of the victims, and the school, with the judge ultimately siding with the families of the victims and citing an exception to the Tennessee Public Records Act.
Families of the victims expressed relief over the ruling, stating that it prevents the shooter from gaining notoriety. Previously, parts of the writings were leaked by a conservative podcast host and a news site, leading to an investigation by the Nashville Police Department. The issue of allowing staff to carry weapons in schools has also sparked debate among teachers and parents of Covenant students, with Governor Bill Lee signing a bill into law in support of the measure. The judge’s ruling prevents the writings from being made public at this time, but they could potentially still be released in the future.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com