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.
His call for an investigation comes after members of the Tennessee General Assembly told The Star the documents are authentic. The legislators were previously allowed by MNPD to review Hale’s writings, and said the images obtained by Crowder match what they reviewed.
While The Star authenticated the documents, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN radio host Matt Murphy independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents, as did News Channel 5, though that outlet claimed the images shown by Crowder are not illustrative of Hale’s full manifesto.
In his statement, O’Connell said the “investigation may involve local, state, and federal authorities” and added that he is “deeply concerned” with the safety of and well-being “of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving.”
The Star contacted MNPD Public Affairs Director Don Aaron via email determine why MNPD has not authenticated the document, and specifically questioned whether the purported length of the manifesto is the cause of the delay, but did not receive a response prior to press time. MNPD is reportedly planning to release a statement.
When The Star initially contacted MNPD for comment, a spokesman for the department said it “has no idea” where Crowder obtained the documents. Later, the same spokesman told The Star the matter is being investigated, and suggested the images shared by Crowder did not originate from within MNPD.
News Channel 5 reported that attorney David Raybin, who represents Hale’s family, stated he has not reviewed the manifesto and thus cannot authenticate it, but said he could not comment further due to pending litigation.
Star News Digital Media Inc., the parent company of The Star, filed two lawsuits seeking to compel the manifesto’s release in May. The twin lawsuits, launched against MNPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), remain active.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News, and also reports for The Tennessee Star and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell.
The mayor will prosecute the leaker and give the shooter a burial with full honors.
Still waiting on the rest of the documents, wonder what they say……
Exactly, Nashville Proper! Another point that few have made – when the father who supposedly represents all the parents at the Covenant School made his pathetic statement yesterday, he was obviously only concerned about the release of the truth and who did it. He said that the person/persons who released the truth was the bad guy. He failed to call out the true evil murderer when he had a chance (as if to protect that monster). And, I dare say, he has also failed to admit that the parents and the school have some culpability because they FAILED to protect the children and the staff from this kind of evil. Why do leftists continue to get away with their awful lies and ideologies?
Release the complete writings! I suspect they are more concerned with something other than the “renewed trauma” the families of the victims will somehow encounter if they are all released.
This guy looks like he hands out estrogen Smarties for Halloween.
It’s Russian disinformation.
You got that right.
Just another example of why I hate living in Davidson County. I’ve told my spouse either sell and move or get a divorce attorney. Buying in Davidson County is about the worst mistake I’ve ever made.
They tried REALLY hard to hide the truth.
They failed.
Now, the public is learning the truth and these evil leaders who hid the truth are TERRIFIED.
It’s never about the truth with them. They don’t care about you.
He’s afraid that the manifesto will come back to haunt HIM.
remember the leak from the SUPREME COURT of the decision about the end of roe.
remember how we found out who did that? oh, right, it died immediately
people like freddie LIKED that leak.
Mayor, why aren’t they investigating why the manifesto documents are being withheld in VIOLATION of Tennessee’s Open Records law? But wait! Obey the law, Mayor and release them!
Focus on what is important–keeping the truth bottled up. The Democratic Party collectively murdered those babies.
“Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell ordered an investigation . . . ”
Metro Nashville, you really know how to pick ’em. (sarcasm much)
O’Connell supports the ends if not the means of Audrey Hale’s tranifesto but, much like a 10 year boy after bottom surgery, does not have the balls to say so. He’d rather plant Hale’s gun in the laps of republicans and blame them for so-called gun violence that HIS people commit. The Audrey Hales and John Drake Juniors he panders to by banning LPRs.
That’s why he’s more concerned with punishing the leaker than finding out why the shooting happened.
He already knows why it happened. He doesn’t want you to ever know why it happened.
His banal brand of sleepy Bolshevism gets glommed over by some in the conservative media who’ve played footsie with him since his Liberadio days at Vanderbilt.