Covenant School Shooter’s Parents Request Manifesto Remain Private: Report

Parents of The Covenant School shooter requested the highly contested manifesto given to the victims’ families remain private to prevent further trauma to survivors, according to documents transferring ownership obtained by local media.

“Evidence from suicides and trauma following past mass murders and scientific research shows that material like the Writings can cause additional psychological trauma to the surviving victims,” the documents state, according to Fox 17.

Nearly three months have passed since a 28-year-old female who identified as a man carried out a mass shooting at the private Presbyterian school that left six dead, including three 9-year-olds. The shooter is not being named per Daily Wire policy against giving mass shooters undeserved notoriety.

The victims included three students — Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9 — and three staff members, including headmaster Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61.

According to the transfer documents, the shooter’s parents state they “wish to ensure that the trust created by this gift will be used for the purpose of (1) preventing the dissemination of the Writings, (2) preventing the copying, distribution, publication, or unauthorized use of any of the Writings, and (3) for the purpose of seeking damages on behalf of the Children caused by any infringement, misappropriation, unauthorized use of any of the Intellectual Property Rights.”

Following the mass shooting, debate over whether the shooter’s manifesto should be released to the public or remain in the custody of local, state, or federal law enforcement immediately became a focal point.

Those who do not want the manifesto to be released, including the school and a group of parents, cite the security and safety concerns of the students and staff. Five groups requested the documents’ release, including the National Police Association, Tennessee Firearms Association, The Tennessee Star, The Tennessean newspaper, and Republican State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, NewsChannel 5 reports.

Attorneys for the shooter’s parents notified a court last week that they intended to assign rights of the manifesto to the families of the victims during a hearing for a lawsuit seeking the release of the writings. The documents should be the families’ property, and that ownership would be transferred by the end of the week, attorneys said.

Once the request goes through, it’s likely the manifesto will be kept private, the outlet reported.

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“If they own the papers, then they have standing over whether they will be released or not,” the attorney said.

Although the writings remain in possession of the Metro Nashville Police Department, the news outlet reported if the Court rules the manifesto should remain private, the parents would obtain possession and keep the writings sealed off from the public.

Ben Whitehead contributed to this report.