The parents of two child victims killed in The Covenant School shooting submitted letters to a Tennessee court on Friday amid a legal battle to release the trans-identifying 28-year-old female mass shooter’s manifesto.
On March 27, 2023, the shooter, whom The Daily Wire is not naming to avoid giving notoriety to shooters, went on a rampage inside the Covenant School, a Presbyterian-affiliated private school. The victims included three students — Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9 — and three staff members — headmaster Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61.
The parents of victims Dieckhaus and Kinney issued declaration letters to the Davidson County Court in Nashville expressing why they believe the shooter’s writings should remain private and the impact the horrific mass shooting has had on their families.
Read the letters here and here.
While school officials, the shooter’s parents, and a group of parents from the private Christian academy in Nashville have requested to keep the writings away from the public due to safety and security concerns and to avoid potential copycat crimes, The Daily Wire and a host of other organizations have sought access, through Freedom of Information Act requests, to a collection of her writings that has been referred to as a “manifesto.”
Authorities initially signaled the material would be released, but have since balked.
However, organizations like the National Police Association argue Tennessee state law requires that any documents taken or received in connection with official government business must be released to the public unless there is a valid legal exception.
Threats of potential violence have been foiled or prevented by releasing such information, the association’s attorney previously told The Daily Wire.
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Other organizations and individuals – including the Tennessee Firearms Association, The Tennessee Star, The Tennessean newspaper, and Republican State Sen. Todd Gardenhire – have also attempted to obtain the documents through legal means.
The Court has yet to decide whether to release the writings. However, should the documents be made public, the likelihood of gaining access remains minimal, considering the shooter’s parents legally transferred the writings to a group of parents from The Covenant School.
Metro Nashville Police Department, who have stated their support of the wishes of the victims and survivors’ families, currently possess the evidence as the legal battle for its release continues.