WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, America First Legal (AFL) filed an urgent lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for violating the Public Records Act and concealing Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale’s “manifesto.” 

On April 24, 2023, plaintiff Michael Patrick Leahy of Star News Digital Media, Inc. requested the Metro Nashville Police release Hale’s manifesto and autopsy report related to the brutal murder of six people at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023.

The next day, the Police denied releasing the manifesto, citing an allegedly ongoing criminal investigation, and subsequently denied the release of the autopsy report for the same reason.

On April 27, 2023, the Metro Nashville Police Department notified the public that it would be releasing the records, including Hale’s manifesto, a collection of notebooks, journals, and writing, indicating “her” mental state, plans, and the reason for her violence.

However, just six days later, the Police Department reversed course and announced via Twitter that it would not be releasing records because of lawsuits requesting the release. The Police Department’s citing of an ongoing criminal investigation is invalid as there is no ongoing criminal investigation of the deceased Audrey Hale.

America First Legal demands the Police Department release the requested records immediately as required under the law. The American people deserve transparency regarding this planned attack on innocent teachers and students by Audrey Hale.

Read the lawsuit here, and additional documents here.

Photo credit: Kevin Ruck/Adobe Stock Images