Category: Covenant School Shooting

COVERAGE OF COVENANT SHOOTING INVESTIGATION – The Tennessee Star has obtained a large number of case documents regarding the investigation of Audrey Elizabeth Hale and the mass shooting she perpetrated at Covenant Presbyterian School on March 27, 2023.

Judge Overseeing Case to Release Covenant Killer Manifesto Warns of Contempt If Parties ‘Usurp’ Sealed Materials

Tom Pappert

Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles on Tuesday filed an order in the ongoing case seeking to compel the release of the manifesto written by the Covenant School killer that warns all involved in the multi-plaintiff lawsuit that they could be sanctioned or held in contempt if they “usurp” materials submitted to her for review.

Star News Digital Media Inc., the parent company of The Tennessee Star, is a plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking to compel law enforcement to release the manifesto written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who reportedly identified as a transgender man before she was fatally shot by police.

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New Court Filing Claims Covenant School Shooter Audrey Hale Possibly Motivated by Alleged Child Abuse Coverup

Tom Pappert

A motion to intervene filed on Monday in the court case seeking to compel the release of the manifesto written by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale claims the shooter’s motivation for committing the attack may stem from an alleged child abuse coverup at the school.

The motion was filed by Austin Davis, who claimed in a signed affidavit to be “a former Covenant Presbyterian deacon and church member, and a former Covenant School father” who also purports to be a “child sex abuse whistleblower.” The Tennessee man claimed to face retaliation for the claims he made against the school.

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Tennessee Judge to Consider Releasing List of Seized Items from Covenant School Shooter, May Set Court Date for Manifesto Release Hearing

Tom Pappert

Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles set a court date last Friday for this week, during which she will hear motions regarding the possible release of a list of documents written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale and to determine a future hearing to decide whether she will release Hale’s manifesto to the public.

Myles will hear two motions this Friday, reported WSMV on Saturday, including a motion regarding the release of “a list detailing the documents” written by Hale, the biological female who identified as a transgender male before she fatally shot three six-year-olds and three staff members at the Covenant School in March 2023, which were “turned over to the judge for her private viewing” last year.

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Former Trump Official Calls for the Release of the Nashville Shooter Manifesto After FBI Arrests Oregon Transgender Woman Who Threatened to Kill ‘Trans Phobes’

Kaitlin Housler

Sebastian Gorka called for the release of the manifesto written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a transgender man who fatally shot three 9-year-old students and three faculty members at the Covenant School in Nashville last year after the FBI recently arrested an Oregon man for threatening to kill “trans phobic a*****s.”

Gorka, who served as the deputy assistant for former President Donald Trump, shared a post about the story of the Oregon man, adding, “Where’s the Nashville Transkiller’s manifesto[?] #TransTerrorism.”

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Tennessee State Rep. Gino Bulso Files Bill to Compel Release of Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) filed HB 1653 on Monday to compel Tennessee law enforcement to release materials and evidence related to the Covenant School shooting, including the manifesto written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who fatally shot three 9-year-old students and three faculty at the school in March 2023.

Bulso’s bill would require “all state and local law enforcement” to comply with a request from any member of the Tennessee General Assembly seeking “a copy of all records collected by the agency, including, but not limited to, all writings and medical, toxicology, and other reports, of a perpetrator involved in a school shooting incident that occurred at a public or private school in this state in March of 2023.”

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Return of Covenant School Students to Burton Hills Campus Delayed Until April as Manifesto Legal Battle Continues

Tom Pappert

The Covenant School delayed the return of students and faculty to its Burton Hills campus until April 15 in a letter sent to parents that was published by Nashville media on Monday. Though not referenced in the letter, the delay follows the November publication of three leaked pages from the manifesto written by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, which were cited in an ongoing lawsuit seeking to compel the release of Hale’s full manifesto.

In the letter Covenant School officials sent to parents, reported by NewsChannel 5, officials cited concerns over safety and security, learning disruption, and teacher and student readiness. They also cited a desire to reopen the campus after the March 27 anniversary of the Covenant School shooting, during which Hale, a biological female who identified as a transgender male, fatally shot three 9-year-old students and three faculty.

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Metro Nashville Police Unable to Find Source of Covenant Killer Manifesto Leak, but Reveals How Photos Were Taken

Tom Pappert

Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake said in an official announcement on Friday that the department had “exhausted” its investigative options to discover the identity of the law enforcement professional who leaked images of the manifesto written by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, leading to their publication.

Drake announced in the media release that his department “has exhausted all available investigative avenues” to identify the person who leaked the images, but offered new information about how the images were taken, and revealed that a former MNPD detective has opted against cooperating with his former employers’ investigation.

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Three Metro Nashville Police Officers Remain on Administrative Assignment over Leak of Covenant Killer Manifesto: Report

Tom Pappert

Three Metro Nashville Police (MNPD) officers remain on administrative assignment as the agency investigates the leak of three photographs showing manifesto pages written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, which were published by conservative comedian and commentator Steven Crowder in November, according to a Tuesday report.

The police department confirmed three officers remain on administrative assignment to Fox 17, which reported that an additional four officers returned to their normal duties in mid-November. MNPD confirmed seven officers were placed on administrative assignment on November 7.

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Tennessee Appeals Court Rules Covenant Parents May Intervene in Lawsuit Seeking Audrey Hale Manifesto

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled in Nashville on Thursday that a group of parents can intervene in the lawsuit seeking to compel the release of the manifesto written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, affirming a lower court’s ruling. The parents wish to prevent the manifesto’s release.

In a 17-page order released Thursday afternoon, the appeals court ruled to “affirm the trial court’s judgement allowing intervention,” and sent the case back to the Davidson County Chancery Court for further proceedings. That court’s previous decision to allow the parents to intervene prompted the appeal.

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Illinois Sheriff Says Trans Woman Who Threatened to Shoot School Children Repeatedly Referenced Covenant Killer

M.D. Kittle

The 47-year-old transgender woman charged with multiple felony counts of threatening to shoot and rape school children seemed to draw inspiration from Nashville’s Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, according to the Illinois sheriff involved in the arrest.

An earlier report suggests the school shooting threats were a call to action to the transgender community.

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Attorneys: Threats of School Shootings by Alleged Covenant Killer Wannabe Heighten Need for Release of Manifesto

M.D. Kittle
Dan Lennington, Deputy Counsel WILL

Recently filed charges against a transgender woman who threatened mass school shootings a la the Covenant Killer only heightens the urgency of releasing Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto, according to attorneys in nationally watched public records battles.

“In school shootings in the past, an enormous amount of information has been released in order to help first responders and teachers and school officials protect themselves,” said Dan Lennington, deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL)

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FBI Asks Judge to Block Discovery in Tennessee Star’s Lawsuit Seeking Covenant Killer Records

M.D. Kittle

Earlier this month, attorneys for Star News Digital Media Inc., the parent company of The Star and The Star News Network, filed a motion after the leak of three pages of Covenant Presbyterian School mass murderer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s writings. The motion asserts the leak proves, “assuming the three pages’ authenticity,” that the FBI “could have selectively released” redacted portions of the manifesto without jeopardizing ongoing investigations.

The FBI has yet to confirm the authenticity of the manifesto pages shared online, but the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has confirmed they are Hale’s writings. Prior to that admission, The Star was among the first outlets to independently verify the pages were part of Hale’s manifesto.

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FBI Won’t Comment on Whether Covenant Killer’s Manifesto Pages Constitute a Hate Crime

M.D. Kittle

In the three pages released last week from Covenant Killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto and related writings, the hand-written notes were filled with racial and anti-LGBT slurs. Hale expressed at great length her hatred for white people, and in particular, her animus for the white children at the private Christian elementary school.

However, officials at the FBI won’t say whether or not they are handling the investigation of the March 27 school shootings as a hate crime.

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EXCLUSIVE: Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Stands by Metro Law Director’s Claim That Covenant Killer Manifesto is ‘Locked’ Under Court Seal

M.D. Kittle

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is standing by his man, Metro Law Director Wally Dietz, and his suspect claim that a court order prohibits the release of the Covenant Killer’s manifesto.

“To be clear: I’m not intent on withholding anything, but I’m not going to violate the best understanding I have of what the law is,” the mayor told The Tennessee Star in responding to questions about Dietz’s controversial assertions.

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Source of Covenant Killer Manifesto Not Among Seven Officers Placed on ‘Administrative Assignment’ by MNPD, Crowder Claims

Tom Pappert

The member of Nashville law enforcement who reportedly captured photographs of the manifesto written by Covenant killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale was not among the seven Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers placed on “administrative assignment” by the department, conservative commentator Steven Crowder confirmed on Thursday. Crowder released three photographs showing pages from the manifesto on Monday.

In a clip from his podcast posted to social media, Crowder said MNPD “messed up” by apparently identifying the wrong officers. He clarified the source “is not one of the seven” put on administrative assignment, and said any reporting to the contrary was designed “to intimidate whistleblowers into silence.”

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YouTube Censors Babylon Bee After Sharing Covenant Killer Manifesto

Peter D'Abrosca

Alphabet-owned YouTube is censoring The Babylon Bee after the publication shared the leaked partial manifesto of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who shot and killed six people at The Covenant School in Nashville in March. 

“Normally we’re flagged for misinformation, incitement, or hateful conduct. This is our first ‘violent criminal organizations’ policy violation,” said Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter. 

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Metro Nashville Police Department Confirms 7 Officers on ‘Administrative Assignment’ in Connection to Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert

Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed on Wednesday that seven of its officers have been placed on administrative assignment following the leak of at least three pages of Covenant killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto to conservative commentator and comedian Steven Crowder, who published them Monday.

Crowder initially reported the seven officers were placed on leave in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “The powers that be are more concerned about finding the leaker than they are about the contents of Audrey Hale’s anti-white manifesto,” wrote Crowder.

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Conservative Commentator Steven Crowder Pushes Back Against Legacy Media Criticism About Bombshell Release of Covenant Killer Documents

M.D. Kittle

While much of the legacy media attacks the messenger, conservative commentator Steven Crowder wants to know why major news outlets haven’t been more diligent in going after Covenant School Killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto.

The host of the Louder with Crowder podcast this week published photos of three pages from Hale’s prolific writings, which the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have blocked from public release.

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Star News Network Seeks to Compel FBI to Determine Authenticity of Covenant Killer Manifesto as Lawsuit Continues

Tom Pappert

Star News Digital Media Inc., the parent company of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network, filed a new motion on Tuesday to advance its ongoing lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which seeks to compel the full release of the manifesto written by Covenant school killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, after three manifesto pages were leaked on Monday.

In a motion prepared after a portion of Hale’s manifesto was obtained by conservative comedian and pundit Steven Crowder, Star News asserted the leak proves, “assuming the three pages’ authenticity,” that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) “could have selectively released” redacted portions of the manifesto without jeopardizing ongoing investigations.

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MNPD Probes How Covenant Killer Manifesto Photos Leaked ‘Outside of Law Enforcement’

Tom Pappert

Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) spokesman Don Aaron told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday the department is investigating how images of three pages from the manifesto written by Covenant school killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale “made their way outside of law enforcement” on Monday.

“The investigation is advancing,” Aaron told The Star when asked if MNPD could eliminate the possibility of the leaked documents coming from within the department. “We are continuing with the objective to ascertain exactly how these photographs made their way outside of law enforcement,” he explained.

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MNPD Chief John Drake Vows to Investigate Person Who Leaked ‘Three Pages of Writings from the Covenant Shooter’

Tom Pappert

Chief John Drake of the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) released a statement on Monday that confirmed “three pages of writings from the Covenant shooter,” Audrey Hale, were leaked to the public, and pledged to “identify the person responsible.”

In a statement posted to the Nashville government website, Drake said he was disturbed by the “unauthorized release” of pages written by Hale, and said his department is “extremely serious about the investigation” to determine the culprit. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell ordered an investigation into the release of the pages on Monday afternoon.

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‘Tennessee Three’ Silent After Covenant Killer’s Anti-White Manifesto Leaked

Peter D'Abrosca

Three of the most prominent Tennessee Democrat lawmakers who used Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s mass shooting at The Covenant School to push a left-wing gun control agenda offered no response to Monday’s revelation that Hale’s crime was motivated at least in part by anti-white racial animus. 

State Reps. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) did not return The Tennessee Star’s Monday comment requests seeking a reaction to the manifesto’s partial release. 

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Metro Nashville Police Department Stonewalls Authentication of Leaked Covenant Killer Documents, Claims Photos ‘Not MNPD Crime Scene Images’

Tom Pappert

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) acknowledged the leaked documents purported to be part of the manifesto written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale on Monday. Hale, who reportedly identified as a transgender male, fatally shot six at The Covenant School in 2022.

MNPD did not confirm nor deny the authenticity of the images in the statement, but acknowledged the department “is in communication” with the Metro Legal about the ongoing investigation “into the dissemination of three photographs of writings” shown by conservative comedian and pundit Steven Crowder on Monday morning. The department confirmed the “photographs are not MNPD crime scene images.”

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Orders Metro Legal to Investigate How Covenant Killer Documents Were Released

Tom Pappert

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell ordered an investigation from Metro Legal on Monday to determine how the photos of the manifesto written by The Covenant Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale, which were authenticated by The Tennessee Star, were leaked to conservative comedian and pundit Steven Crowder.

O’Connell announced the investigation in a statement to News Channel 5, telling the outlet he directed Metro Law Director Wally Dietz “to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released.” At press time the Metro Nashville Police Department has acknowledged the documents, but has refused to comment on their authenticity or how Crowder may have obtained them.

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Sources Confirm Docs Leaked by Crowder Are Authentic Covenant Killer Writings, MNPD Investigating

Tom Pappert

Sources in the Tennessee General Assembly who were allowed to view the Covenant Killer Manifesto by the Metro Nashville Police Department have confirmed to The Tennessee Star that the documents released by Steven Crowder on Monday morning, which he purports to be part of Covenant killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto, are indeed part of the documents obtained by MNPD during their investigation, and were authentically written by Hale.

The independent confirmation of the manifesto comes after MNPD said it “has no idea” what the documents. The Star contacted MNPD again to confirm the documents are Hale’s original writings, but a spokesperson for the department said she did not know whether the documents were authentic.

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Metro Nashville Police Department ‘Has No Idea’ About Document Steven Crowder Purports to Be Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert

A spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) told The Tennessee Star they have “no idea” about the document obtained by Steven Crowder and released on Monday, which he purports to be the actual manifesto of Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale.

They did not specifically address the authenticity of the purported document.

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Crowder Claims to Have Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert

Conservative comedian and commentator Steven Crowder claimed to have a copy of the manifesto written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale that he intends to release at 9 a.m. CT. Crowder’s claim comes as the parent company The Tennessee Star continues its two ongoing lawsuits seeking to obtain the document, and as public officials call for its release.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Crowder wrote that his investigative “team has obtained exclusive access to the Nashville Covenant shooter’s manifesto” and said he intends to release the document on Monday morning. Crowder is hosting a stream on Rumble to discuss the alleged manifesto.

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Attorney for Parents in Covenant School Killer Records Lawsuit Claims Release of Manifesto Will Lead to Suicides

M.D. Kittle

A three-judge appeals court panel on Monday heard oral arguments in a First Amendment lawsuit seeking the release of the manifesto and related writings of the Covenant School killer.

The judges will determine whether a lower court erred in allowing Nashville’s Covenant Presbyterian Church, its elementary school and parents of students there to intervene in the lawsuit, brought by the parent company of The Tennessee Star, the Tennessee Firearms Association, The Tennessean, and others.

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Tennessee Appeals Court to Hear Oral Arguments in Covenant Killer Records Case

M.D. Kittle

The Tennessee Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments Monday afternoon in The Tennessee Star’s lawsuit demanding the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County release the Covenant School killer’s manifesto and related records.

The court is weighing whether to overturn Davidson County Judge I’Ashea Myles’ ruling to allow Covenant Presbyterian School parents, staff and others to intervene in the lawsuit and argue why the manifesto should remain locked away from the public.

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Open Government Expert: Any Tennessee General Assembly Committee Has the Legal Authority to Obtain the Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government’s Executive Director Deborah Fisher joined all-star panelist and author Carol Swain in-studio on Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the provisions in current law that would make the Covenant Killer Manifesto available for review by Tennessee lawmakers.

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Tennessee Star Files Records Request for Information on ‘Handwritten Words, Drawings, and Numbers’ Found on Covenant Killer’s Clothes

M.D. Kittle

The Tennessee Star filed a public records request seeking information related to “handwritten words, drawings, and numbers” found on the clothing of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, at the time of the mass shootings.

Michael Patrick Leahy, Tennessee citizen and CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc., parent company of The Tennessee Star, filed the records request Thursday morning with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. MNPD officials sent an automatic reply acknowledging receipt of the request.

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Vivek Ramaswamy Holds Press Conference in Nashville, Calls on Officials to Release Manifesto of Covenant Killer

Tennessee Star Staff

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy held a press conference at the Davidson County Courthouse on Wednesday to call for releasing the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto.

“I’m here as a father and as an American. We can’t fix the past, but we can prevent tragedies in the future, and the only way to do it is to learn from those mistakes of the past,” Ramaswamy said. “When an airplane crashes, we recover the black box for a reason – we never want to make that same mistake twice. We have a tradition in this country as law enforcement to do the same thing when there’s a mass shooting…We have to learn from tragedy to prevent it in the future.”

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Grand Ole Opry Set to Hold Benefit Concert Next Week to Support the Covenant School Community Fund

Kaitlin Housler

The Grand Ole Opry will host a benefit concert featuring performances by renowned artists to help raise funds for the Covenant School Community Fund.

The Covenant School Community Fund was formed after Audrey Hale, who identified as transgender, opened fire at The Covenant Presbyterian School in the Green Hills neighborhood in Nashville on March 27, killing six victims – three children.

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Nashville Christian School Shooter Had Handwritten Notes on Clothes, Autopsy Shows

Just the News

Nashville Christian shooter Audrey Hale had handwritten words, numbers and drawings covering the clothing she wore as she killed six people at her former school in March, an autopsy report states.

Hale, a 28-year-old biological woman who identified as a transgender man, also had a red pocket knife monogrammed with her chosen name of Aiden, according to the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s report, published Wednesday by Fox News.

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Nashville Covenant School Parents Push for New Gun Laws

The Center Square

Families from Nashville’s Covenant School have begun a pair of nonprofits and are pushing Tennessee for gun prevention laws such as expanded background checks, secure storage and red flag laws heading into August’s expected special session of the Tennessee Legislature.

A shooter killed three students and three employees at Covenant School earlier this year. Family members from the school started Covenant Families for a Brighter Tomorrow and the legislative advocacy nonprofit Covenant Families Action Fund.

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MNPD Not Opposed to Release of Redacted Covenant Killer Manifesto Sought in Star News Network’s Lawsuit Against FBI

M.D. Kittle
Covenant School Shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale

While the Federal Bureau of Investigation is fighting any release of the Covenant killer’s manifesto in federal court, an official with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says the local law enforcement agency would not object to a redacted release of some of the documents.

The problem could be just how law enforcement officials define “redactions.” 

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Attorney John Harris Talks Timelines, Twists, and Turns on the Covenant Killer Manifesto Court Case

Tennessee Star Staff

Attorney John Harris joined host Michael Patrick Leahy in studio on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss the state of the court case to release the Covenant Killer Manifesto between Tennessee Firearms Association, Metro Nashville, the Covenant School, and many others.  TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 6:06 AM broadcasting live from our studios on Music Crow in Nashville, Tennessee. We’ll be joined in-studio at 6:30 AM by the official guest host of The Tennessee Star Report, Aaron Gulbransen. We’ll talk about the Sound of Freedom movie and, and also what the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition is up to these days. In-studio right now, our very good friend for many years, the executive director of the Tennessee Firearms Association, John Harris. John, we left a hanging chad and the hanging chad which I looked at you with a bit of incredulity. You like that word? John Harris: I do. Michael Patrick Leahy: The word of the day. “Incredulity.” You said that the state case where a number of plaintiffs including the Tennessee Firearms Association, which you represent as an attorney, and me individually and The Tennessee Star represented by America First Legal – that state case may not…

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FBI Doubles Down on ‘Ongoing Investigation’ Claim in Response to Star News Network’s Lawsuit over Covenant Killer’s Manifesto

M.D. Kittle

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is doubling down on its insistence that an “ongoing” criminal investigation prevents the agency from releasing Covenant Presbyterian School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto, according to a response filed this week in federal court.

Star News Digital Media Inc., parent company of The Star News Network and The Tennessee Star, filed a federal lawsuit in May demanding the FBI turn over Hale’s manifesto and related writings.

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