A federal judge in Tennesee has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to surrender documents which include the ‘manifesto’ of transgender school shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale. Ms. Hale, who adopted the name Aiden, perpetrated a mass shooting at the Covenant Christian School in Nashville in March 2023.
Federal officials have resisted releasing Hale’s manifesto, citing potential interference with enforcement proceedings. The Tennessee Star newspaper’s parent company took legal action against the FBI after denying its request for public records under the Freedom of Information Act. “The public has an urgent right to know why this tragedy happened,” the newspaper’s lawyers said in the federal complaint.
Judge Aleta Trauger of the Middle District of Tennessee rejected the FBI’s request for dismissal. The judge, instead, ordered the FBI to produce the requested documents for her review. The FBI has not offered a response to the judge’s order.
Official confirmation of the contents of Hale’s manifesto has yet to be made public, despite the shooting having occurred nearly one year ago. In November 2023, a leaked copy of the shooter’s alleged manifesto circulated on social media, with Hale appearing to vow to kill “privileged white kids” at “private schools.” Tennessee police sources at the time confirmed the authenticity of the leaked document.
The National Police Association has also filed a lawsuit seeking the release of documents related to Hale’s crimes. They have stated they are concerned with the FBI’s delays in releasing the information to the public.
Victims of Hale’s shooting included three adults, Mike Hill, Cynthia Peak, and Katherine Koonce, and three children, Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney.
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