The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said Monday the three images alleged to be part of the Christian Covenant School shooter’s manifesto are not “crime scene images.”
Conservative political commentator Steven Crowder posted photographs of three pages which he alleged are part of a manifesto written by the now-deceased Audrey Hale, who killed six people inside the Covenant School with a firearm in Nashville, Tennessee, back in March. An officer killed Hale as she continued opening fire on the second floor of the building.
“The MNPD is in communication with the Metropolitan Department of Law as an investigation, begun this morning, continues into the dissemination of three photographs of writings during an on-line discussion about Covenant School. The photographs are not MNPD crime scene images,” the statement reads.
Authorities confirmed they discovered a manifesto written by Hale in which she had allegedly planned the attack for several weeks. Following the shooting, authorities obtained the manifesto, which is under an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).
The MNPD told the Daily Caller earlier Monday that they currently “don’t know” whether the three pages are authentic.
“I don’t know at this time,” a spokeswoman told the Daily Caller via phone call in response to whether they could confirm the authenticity of the pages. A spokesperson later told the Caller they had no update on the information as the department is still looking into the matter.
“The police department has been in contact with a representative of Covenant families,” the statement continues. “Police department counselors are available to assist them in coping with the emotional trauma caused by the dissemination.”
A police spokeswoman also told Fox News they are “aware” of a possible leak of the manifesto. David Raybin, an attorney representing Hale’s parents, said he could not confirm the pages’ authenticity, according to WSMV4, a local NBC affiliated outlet.
“We have never seen a manifesto at any time. We’re not in a position to authenticate these pieces of paper. We have absolutely not released anything, but we certainly did not release this,” Raybin said. “It’s inappropriate for me to make any further comment about it.”
Crowder posted photos of a notebook, in which the first page was headlined “DEATH DAY,” where it describes the writer’s excitement to shoot people inside the school and have a “high death count.” The next alleged page reads “kill those kids!” at the top, followed by “those crackers,” a derogatory term for white people.
“Kill those kids! Those crackers,” the page posted by Crowder reads. “Going to private fancy schools with those fancy kwackis + sports backpacks with their daddies mustangs + convertibles. Fuck you little shits. I wish to shoot you[r] weak ass dicks w/your mop yellow hair, wanna kill all you little crackers!!! Bunch of little faggots w/your white privileges fuck you faggots.”
🚨 BREAKING: Nashville School Covenant Shooter Audrey Hale’s “DEATH DAY” Manifesto Targeted “Cr*ckers” with “white privlages”
“wanna kill all you little cr*ckers”
“I hope I have a high death count”
“I’m ready…I hope my victims aren’t.”
“Ready to die.”#NashvilleManifesto pic.twitter.com/89Ie6TlgRf
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) November 6, 2023
The next alleged page shows a schedule of the day leading up to the shooting, listing 12:33 p.m. as the time to “open fire” and then “die” soon after, according to the photograph posted by Crowder. (RELATED: Media Twists Itself Into Knots Covering Transgender School Shooter)
Shortly after the shooting, authorities revealed that Hale was a female who identified as a male and worked as an artist. She had bought seven firearms legally despite medical professionals’ concerns about her mental state, and law enforcement previously said they would have confiscated her firearms if they had been made aware of the concerns.
Nashville Metro Police Department told the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) in late March that they were not publicly releasing the manifesto due to an “open investigation.” The BAU was investigating the manifesto that had been previously reported to have “maps” and “writings” detailing Hale’s plan to shoot up the building.
A Nashville city council member assured the DCNF that the manifesto would eventually be released to the public.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the MNPD’s statement released Monday afternoon.