A federal judge on Friday ordered the FBI to hand over all materials concerning Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale. Her contentious manifesto, which officials have tried to hide since the tragedy, is also to be turned over for a private perusal.
A lawsuit was filed against the FBI last year by Star News Digital Media and its editor in chief Michael Patrick Leahy. The plaintiffs sought the release of the shooter’s manifesto.
The 28-year-old Hale, who identified as a male named Aiden, murdered three nine-year-old students at the Nashville Christian school and three staff members.
Police stormed the building and Hale was shot and killed before anyone else was hurt.
But almost immediately the shooter’s manifesto became the center of a massive controversy. It was rumored to include violent threats against White people and Christians, and its suppression caused many to question the motivations of those attempting to hide it from the public.
Why Is The FBI Hiding Audrey Hale's Manifesto? – OutKick https://t.co/0pvegpYxvM
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) April 21, 2023
Meanwhile, the FBI claimed that releasing it would hamper the ongoing investigation. This despite the judgment that Hale acted alone.
Some of the contents of Hale’s explosive manifesto were leaked in November. This after a rush of lawsuits by the National Police Association, the Tennessean and Tennessee Firearms Association.
The FBI and the school resisted calls for openness, claiming that publicizing the writings could lead to copycats.
Judge Aleta A. Trauger penned a three-page order. “Though the FBI position may ultimately be well-founded, it has not supported that position with sufficient clarity or detail to permit the court to recognize the asserted exemptions at this time.”
Trauger added that it is in the public interest that the materials regarding Hale be privately reviewed by a judge.
Leahy celebrated the court ruling. He called it “a significant victory for the public’s right to know about the motives of Audry Elizabeth Hale, who murdered six innocent Nashvillians at the Covenant School.”
Fox News reported that Hale kept over 20 journals. This means that only a tiny fraction of her writings have been seen by the public, but even those point toward a hate-filled and twisted mind.
