A nonprofit public interest law firm is suing government officials, demanding the public release of a manifesto written by a female mass shooter who identified as male and targeted a Nashville Christian school, killing three small children and three adults.
The document, alleged to be a left-wing political screed professing a woke agenda and attacking Christians, has been hidden by government officials since the targeted attack.
Judicial Watch announced it filed a public records lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for “records about the March 27, 2023, shooting at The Covenant School in Tennessee, including the reported “manifesto” written by the female shooting suspect,” who was killed by a responding police officer.
“Tennessee authorities have cited no credible reason for hiding the killer's ‘manifesto' about this deadly school shooting of three young children and three school employees,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Politics shouldn't trump transparency and the public safety. The public has an urgent right to know the details of this manifesto. That a public records lawsuit is required to try to access this key document is a scandal.”
Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit on behalf of retired Hamilton County Sheriff James Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. after officials ignored two legal requests for the documents.
The first request asked the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to release copies of, or provide for inspection, records or files on “the ‘manifesto' reportedly found in the home of Audrey Elizabeth Hall on March 27, 2023.”
The second request asked Nashville police to release copies of, or provide for inspection “all email communications of MNPD officials regarding the mass shooting committed by Audrey Elizabeth Hale on March 27, 2023, as well as MNPD officials' text messages regarding the same, and copies of the ‘manifesto' reported left by Audrey Elizabeth Hale in her vehicle.”
Judicial Watch also reports in a separate request on April 17, 2023, Hammond asked Nashville police for:
1. All MNPD criminal police reports documenting this incident to include but not limited to:
a. Impound/evidence invoices
b. Photographs
c. Bodycam footage
d. City/County/State and/or federal coroner information
e. Suspect toxicology/lab results
f. Audio of calls for service
g. School video footage of suspect and officers
2. All MNPD Force Investigation Team (FIT) internal administrative investigations/reports regarding this incident to include but not limited to those mandated by The Manual of the Metropolitan Police Department of Nashville Davidson County, TN (the Department Manual) Title 1.130.050.
3. All MNPD communications, to include but not limited to directives, orders, memos, emails and/or letters, concerning the release of the contents and/or copies of the aforementioned “manifesto” of the deceased female shooting suspect.
4. All MNPD communications between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and/or the Office of the District Attorney, Nashville (20th Judicial District) regarding the designation of the aforementioned multiple shooting at a Christian School by a self-identified transgender suspect as a “hate crime.”
5. All MNPD criminal and/or field intelligence reports and/or received complaints involving the aforementioned shooting suspect (Audrey Hale) dated from January 1, 2020, to the date of your final response to this records request.
The MNPD has denied all requests, even though there is no criminal case pending and the potential defendant is dead.
The Tennessee Public Records Act states: “[a]ll state, county and municipal records shall… be open for personal inspection by any citizen of this state, and those in charge of the records shall not refuse such right of inspection to any citizen, unless otherwise provided by state law.” Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(a)(2)(A).
John I. Harris III, Esq., of Schulman, LeRoy & Bennett, PC in Nashville, TN, is assisting Judicial Watch with the lawsuit.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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When the circumstances fit the lib/commie cause they immediately release and amplify all details when they don’t they hide them! We have a lot of truth haters in high places of govt. and law!
YES for the nation, release documents
How are public officials ignoring the laws & oaths of office & not being held accountable? They are employed by We The People & should be fired, charged, prosecuted & punished according for criminal acts! THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP LIBERAL LAWLESS BEHAVIOR!
Naturally, the gubbermint censors are just trying to protect the peasants from stuff that might upset them.
I’ll bet the poor confused malcontent had it in for Christianity. Oscar Wilde said: ‘When a man rails against the Church, it is usually because the Church won’t allow him to do exactly as he wishes.’ (Or words to that effect)