Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed the authenticity of writings linked to school shooter Audrey Hale, as the city’s mayor tore up the fact that they leaked it to conservative commentator Steven Crowder.
Crowder published three pages of handwritten notes written by Hale before he killed six people, including three children, at The Covenant School in March.
The materials show a deep anti-white animus – particularly towards Hale, who is deeply troubled and identified as transgender, considered “mainstream”.
The potential release of Hale’s full text has been controversial since the murder.
While various groups have argued they should be in the public domain, Covenant schools and many victims’ family members have said they want to block them.
“I am deeply concerned for the safety, security and well-being of the Covenant family and all grieving Nashvillians,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a statement after Crowther’s release.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake vowed to find the leaker.AFP via Getty Images
He ordered law enforcement officials to find out who gave the documents to Crowder, who has defended their dissemination.
“This police department is very serious about the investigation to identify the person responsible,” Drake said.
A group of parents whose children were present during the massacre also ripped into the leak.
“You have now allowed [the shooter]who terrorized our family with bullets, can now terrorize us with words from the grave,” said Brent Leatherwood, a Covenant parent.
Hale killed six people at Nashville Christian school.ZUMAPRESS.com
In an interview with Nashville reporter Jeremy Finley, Crowder argued that elements within the Nashville police department were frustrated by the lack of transparency in the case.
Crowder said a source contacted his investigative unit and claimed to have some of Hale’s writing.
His staff went to meet with the leaker in Nashville, and were shown a photo of a document that was part of a text exchange with a detective.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned the release of the documents.Getty Images
The officer, Crowder insisted, verified their authenticity and his team also worked to verify the information.
Previous mass shooter manifestos, he argued, had been “used as a cover for gun control” and were issued just in time.
“This is one that doesn’t follow that narrative,” he said. “And a lot of people think it’s necessary for this to be released. And there are people involved with the Nashville PD who also believe things aren’t necessarily transparent.”
Nashville police initially said they would release at least 20 of Hale’s journals and ‘memoirs’ after their investigation officially closed that they seized after the shooting.
Hale expressed his displeasure with white people in the writing.MNPD/MEGA
But since then they have cited ongoing lawsuits both for and against the release of the material in delaying the release.
Three 9-year-olds: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney were shot to death during the rampage.
Three school employees – Katherine Koonce, 60, school principal, custodian Mike Hill, 61, and 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak – were also shot dead.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
