NASHVILLE, Tenn. (NewsNation) — The Tennessee Court of Appeals heard oral testimony Monday over whether the writings left behind by the Nashville school shooter who killed three kids and three adults at a Christian elementary school in March should be released to the public.
Early in their investigation of the shooting at Covenant School, police announced they recovered writings by the suspect they described as a “manifesto.”
While body camera footage of the shooting was released, the shooter’s manifesto was not. These writings will remain sealed until the case is sorted out in court.
Many people, including presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have been calling on the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and other Tennessee officials to release the documents, with some filing lawsuits.
The National Police Association filed Freedom of Information Act requests to try and get the manifesto released but were denied by a judge.
Parents of the children who died, as well as The Covenant School itself, have been fighting to keep the writings from being revealed to the public, arguing in a legal brief that no good can come from releasing the “dangerous and harmful writings of a mentally-damaged person.”
While most victims’ families are against releasing the manifesto, one family member wants it to be made public.
Reggie Hill, the brother of shooting victim Mike Hill, said, “For me personally, not knowing the shooter’s true motives leaves a large void in my heart and in my brother’s story.”
All sides of the argument presented their positions Monday, but there was no ruling.
Doug Pierce, an attorney representing the National Police Association, is at the forefront of a legal battle to obtain the manifesto from the Nashville Police Department.
Pierce argues that releasing such information is crucial, as it aids in studying and understanding the motives and thought processes of individuals involved in such tragedies.
The struggle for transparency is underpinned by the Tennessee Public Records Act, which stipulates that public records should be accessible, except for specific exceptions, according to Pierce.
The Nashville metro government’s legal department has invoked multiple exceptions, with the primary one being the investigative exception. This exception hinges on the notion that the police are actively searching for any potential accomplices in the incident, even though they have confirmed that there was no threat to the public.
However, questions loom about the motives behind keeping this information under wraps, with some speculating that it may have political implications because of the shooters transgender identity,