More than 14 months after a trans individual entered Nashville’s Covenant School and committed a shooting that took the lives of three 9-year-olds and three staff members, the police department and the FBI continue to withhold the shooter’s “manifesto.” A newly obtained FBI memo to Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake indicates that President Joe Biden’s DOJ might be involved in concealing details about the incident.
“We have numerous documents from the investigation. After reviewing them, I strongly suspect an orchestrated political cover-up due to the shooter being transgender and on medications prone to violence,” Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO of the Tennessee Star newspaper and Star News Network, stated on The Dan O’Donnell Show in Milwaukee.
‘Legacy Tokens’
Leahy’s organization filed a lawsuit on May 10, 2023, demanding the FBI release the manifesto and related records of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the shooter, who was neutralized by police shortly after the attack began. Leahy and Star News also sued the Metro Nashville Police Department, claiming the agency violated state public record laws by withholding the documents. I am also a plaintiff in this lawsuit as one of Star News Network’s investigative reporters. The DOJ promptly denied my Freedom of Information Act request for the manifesto.
A day after the lawsuit, the FBI sent a memo to the police titled “Protection of Legacy Tokens.” The memo, obtained by the Tennessee Star, discouraged MNPD from releasing these tokens, which appear to include Hale’s manifesto. The memo seems to have been directed by the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group based in Quantico, Va.
“A ‘legacy token’ appears to be an FBI term for any documents or videos left by a mass shooter that show their motivation,” Leahy explained.
‘Experts Agree’
The memo advised the chief that there’s precedent for destroying such communications, citing the destruction of the “basement tapes” made by the 1999 Columbine High School shooters. According to the FBI, releasing such materials could inspire others to carry out similar attacks.
Releasing legacy tokens could “spark incredibly intense interest and study by potential offenders,” the memo states, noting that “experts agree” limiting access to these tokens is a prudent course.
However, open government and press advocates disagree. The lawsuit against MNPD includes news outlets, a Second Amendment advocacy group, and a police union among its plaintiffs, all raising concerns about the public’s right to know.
More critically, President Biden’s FBI has argued that releasing these documents would only spread “false narratives,” similar to its actions before the 2020 election. Federal agencies, from Anthony Fauci’s NIAID to the CISA, have worked with media to suppress uncomfortable information.
The FBI claims that public access to legacy tokens “will also facilitate false narratives and inaccurate information,” adding that such releases could lead to “pontificators” and “self-professed ‘experts’” inflaming the public with their perspectives.
Protecting Biden’s Trans Agenda
Releasing Hale’s manifesto and related documents would challenge the Biden administration’s stance on transgender rights. It might also undercut narratives by the LGBTQ community that transgenderism is mainstream.
Following the shootings, Biden stated that “Transgender Americans shape our Nation’s soul.” As Miranda Devine noted, Biden condemned “MAGA extremists” targeting transgender issues. Devine also pointed out that corporate media portrayed the “Trans Community” as the real victims, fearing backlash over the shooter’s gender identity, as highlighted by an NBC News headline.
The DOJ runs a division called the Community Relations Service, which has previously involved itself in controversial cases like George Zimmerman’s and Michael Brown’s cases. CRS’s role includes mediating disputes but critics argue it controls the narrative around its subjects.
Documents obtained by the Tennessee Star suggest Hale was a deeply troubled individual. Among the materials, some pages were leaked to commentator Steven Crowder, who released them. They include an attack plan and racially charged statements.
The FBI has not commented on this matter.
