Nashville judge gets full manifesto of Covenant School shooter.

Nashville Attorneys Submit Unredacted Copy of Covenant School Shooter’s Manifesto for Review

After several lawsuits were filed demanding its release to the public, Nashville city attorneys submitted an unredacted copy of the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto to a county judge on Friday for review.

Two Versions Submitted for Review

Attorneys representing the city submitted two versions of the manifesto — an unredacted copy and a proposed redacted duplicate — to the Davidson County Chancellor’s chambers for review ahead of a public hearing about releasing the writings scheduled for June 8.

The Tragic Shooting

Two months have passed since a 28-year-old woman, who identified as a man, carried out a mass shooting at the private Presbyterian school that left six dead, including three 9-year-olds. The victims’ names included Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9; Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.

Metro Nashville Police officers shot and killed the shooter just minutes after authorities received the first call, according to previous reports. Federal and local authorities searched the property of the female shooter, where they found five laptops, a suicide note, two memoirs, five Covenant School yearbooks, and seven cellphones, according to a search warrant.

Previous Denial of Manifesto Release

Nashville police previously denied The Daily Wire’s request for a copy of a manifesto or diary, citing the investigation as “an open case” and told The Daily Wire to send another request once authorities close the case.

Nashville police signaled earlier this month that authorities would release the manifesto recovered from the shooter’s vehicle until ‘pending litigation’ further delayed the process.

Chilling Level of Detail

Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston described the shooter’s manifesto as a “blueprint on total destruction,” which keeps one high-ranking police officer “up at night,” according to The New York Post.

Johnston said that the chilling level of detail in the plan was being used as justification to withhold it, saying, “that document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.”

Status Conference Scheduled

County and city officials are scheduled to hold a status conference on May 18 to discuss plans for the June public hearing.

Summary

• Nashville city attorneys submitted an unredacted copy of the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto to a county judge for review.
• Two versions of the manifesto were submitted for review.
• The tragic shooting left six dead, including three 9-year-olds.
• The shooter’s manifesto was previously denied for release.
• Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston described the manifesto as a “blueprint on total destruction.”
• County and city officials will hold a status conference on May 18 to discuss plans for the June public hearing.