A federal judge has ordered the FBI to release the “manifesto” left behind by a transgender killer who carried out a mass shooting at a Nashville school last year.
Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who went by the name Aiden and was identified as a trans male, entered Covenant Christian School in March 2023 and killed six people before being fatally shot by responding officers. The killing spree claimed the lives of three adults, Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill, as well as three 9-year-old children, Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney.
Police found a manifesto and other documents, including a hand-drawn map of the school, in Hale’s car. Police Chief John Drake stated last year that the manifesto would be released, but it has yet to be made public. The parent company of the Tennessee Star, a local newspaper, filed a civil lawsuit against the FBI after the bureau denied their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain the manifesto.
In their lawsuit, the Tennessee Star argued that the public has a right to know the details of the shooting and how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. They also accused the FBI of monopolizing information and called for the immediate release of the manifesto. The FBI sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, but U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger denied their motion and ordered them to submit the manifesto for in-camera review.
The government argued that releasing the documents could interfere with ongoing investigations, but the judge found their reasoning lacking in clarity and detail. The FBI has been ordered to produce all potentially relevant documents for review, with the exception of those that do not pertain to Hale’s motive for the shooting.
Since the shooting, only portions of what appear to be crime scene photographs and a couple of pages of the manifesto have leaked, but their authenticity has not been confirmed. The FBI has declined to comment on the leaked material, citing the pending litigation. The delay in the release of the manifesto has sparked questions about the motive behind the continued secrecy.
Hale has been described by authorities as a former student of Covenant Christian School, leading to speculation that the attack may have been targeted at the school and its affiliated church. One of the child victims, Hallie, was the daughter of the church’s pastor. The FBI has yet to determine a clear motive for the attack, but the manifesto is expected to shed more light on the killer’s thoughts and actions leading up to the shooting.
The National Police Association (NPA) has also filed a lawsuit against the city of Nashville for the same documents. The NPA argues that the public has a right to know the details of the shooting and that the documents should not be withheld from the public. Both lawsuits highlight the importance of transparency and the public’s right to access information. The FBI has not yet responded to requests for comment on the case.
The release of the manifesto could provide valuable insight into the mind of the killer and potentially help prevent similar attacks in the future. Families of the victims have been waiting for answers and closure in the wake of this tragic event, and the public also deserves to know the full extent of the attack.
As the court reviews the documents, the spotlight will remain on the FBI and its decision to withhold crucial information from the public.
