Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has taken action in response to the unauthorized release of three images from the Covenant school shooter’s writings. The release occurred after conservative talk show host Steven Crowder made some of the documents public.
O’Connell stated, “I have directed Wally Dietz, Metro’s Law Director, to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released. 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.”
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is actively investigating the dissemination of these images and has confirmed that they are not crime scene images. Counselors from the police department are available to assist Covenant families coping with the emotional trauma caused by the release.
The Covenant School shooting in March resulted in the tragic deaths of three children and three adults, with the shooter also dying during a confrontation with the police.
Attorney David Raybin, who represents the shooter’s family, stated, “I have never seen the so-called manifesto and neither have my clients. We did not leak it and we are in no position to authenticate what was released. Because of pending litigation, it is now inappropriate to make any further comment.”
The leaked images from the shooter’s writings were from notebooks, with one image showing a gloved hand holding the notebook, and another featuring a Metro Nashville Police SUV in the background. Two of the images displayed different pieces of notebook paper titled “Death Day,” which included a schedule that did not match the events of March 27. The writings are filled with hate and graphic content, with one section expressing the shooter’s excitement, nervousness, and desire for a high death count.
Another page, dated February 3, revealed the shooter’s views on children attending private schools and a disturbing desire to harm them. Each piece of paper appeared to be signed by the shooter.
