by NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A group of Tennessee parents whose children attend The Covenant School, where a deadly shooting in March killed three 9-year-olds and three adults, filed a motion Wednesday to prevent the shooter’s writings from being released. for the public.
“Parents see nothing good that can come from publication and wish to state that writings, which they believe to be dangerous and harmful writings from a mentally impaired person, should not be published at all,” their filler reads.
His motion comes just days after more than 60 Tennessee House Republicans called for the briefs to be released.
In a Monday letter to Nashville Police Chief John Drake, House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison said timely release of records is “critical to understanding shooter behavior and motives.” before lawmakers meet for a special session in which they are expected to consider a proposal. take away firearms from people who are considered dangerous to themselves or others.
In addition, three conservative groups had previously filed lawsuits to force Nashville police to turn over the records. Covenant’s parents are seeking to intervene in those cases, which were brought by the Tennessee Firearms Association, Star News Digital Media and the National Police Association, a nonprofit that says it works to educate people about how to help police departments.
The groups sued after Nashville police denied their requests for public records. Police claimed the writings were protected from publication as long as they were part of an open investigation, but indicated they would publish them at some point.
In late April, police said they were reviewing the writings for publication, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee tweeted that publication would be coming “very soon.” A week later, the police reversed course, saying that due to the lawsuits, they would await direction from the court.
Since then, the cases have become more complicated. In addition to Covenant parents, The Covenant School is asking to intervene, as well as the church that runs it, Covenant Presbyterian Church.
The Associated Press is one of several groups that requested the briefs but did not file a lawsuit to obtain them.
Police have said the shooter, Audrey Hale, had been planning the massacre for months. Hale fired 152 rounds during the attack before being killed by police. Hale was under a doctor’s care for an undisclosed “emotional disturbance,” police said. However, authorities have not disclosed a link between that attention and the shooting.
The three children who died in the shooting were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. The three adults were 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, the school’s principal, 61-year-old janitor Mike Hill, and 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak.
