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A couple prays at the memorial for the Covenant School shooting victims in Nashville Tenn. on March 31, 2023. Johnnie Izquierdo / The Washington Post via Getty Images
The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, has called for an investigation following the online posting of images that are purported to be writings by the shooter who killed six people at The Covenant School in March. These images, shared on Monday by a conservative podcast and YouTube show host, have sparked concerns about their authenticity.
Audrey Hale, aged 28, was fatally shot by police on March 27 after opening fire at the private Christian school she had once attended. The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of three children and three adults.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell expressed his deep concern for the safety and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians affected by the incident. He directed the Metro Nashville Law Director to launch an investigation into how these images were released.
The images containing language about carrying out a school shooting and a date were shared by podcast host Steven Crowder. However, NBC News has not confirmed the authenticity of these documents.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department clarified that the three images are not crime scene images from their department. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is aware of the images but cannot vouch for their authenticity.
A group of parents with children at The Covenant School during the attack has filed a motion to keep the writings confidential. They criticized the individual who posted the images, describing them as "a viper" and arguing that the release allowed the shooter to "terrorize us with words from the grave."
While Tennessee House Republicans have called for the release of the writings, the parents argue that no good can come from making them public and label them as "the dangerous and harmful writings of a mentally-damaged person."
David Raybin, an attorney for Audrey Hale's parents, emphasized that they had not released these writings and could not authenticate them.
The shooter had extensively planned the attack, including creating maps of the school with surveillance and entry points. She was armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun.
The release of these images has been criticized as causing harm to the affected parents and children. Crowder's show had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
