“So, the idea of denying this ‘free’ access to mass media exposure is thought to maybe not inspire the next person who feels overlooked and decides this is the way to get noticed.” “These messages are studied by other shooters who borrow from them, craft their own and expect the same fame after death,” he said.

Their concern mirrors a “growing movement” to keep such records under wraps, CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said. Supporting the church’s effort are many parents of Covenant School students – including those of the slain children – who want none of Hale’s writings released in part due to their fear of “copycat attacks,” court documents show.

Both, however, also have sought communications between Nashville police and local and federal officials, their lawsuits show, with the National Police Association speculating in a statement that local officers may have been “subjected to political pressure to keep all or part of the writings secret.”īeyond that, Covenant Presbyterian Church, which runs the school, wants to intervene in both cases to safeguard its interests related to Hale’s writings, which could include journals and a suicide note, it said in court filings. The non-profit groups argue lessons gleaned from the writings themselves could benefit public safety by shedding light on the killer’s thinking, they’ve said in statements. Tennessee's Republican governor signs school safety legislation following Nashville shootingĪccording to the plaintiffs, in denying the requests police cited a state Supreme Court ruling that found state law provides an exception to the public records act by allowing police to withhold the release of information in a pending criminal case except to a defendant.Īuthorities already publicly have said Hale’s writings show the March 27 massacre was “calculated and planned” and Hale scouted a possible second attack location, had “considered the actions of other mass murderers” and “acted totally alone.” (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File) Mark Zaleski/AP Two years after Lee led the charge to allow residents 21 and older to carry handguns in public without a permit, younger adults could soon have the same privilege, with or without the governor's signoff. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State Address in the House Chamber, Feb.

Covenant by Brandon Massey