A Nashville judge ruled Thursday that the writings of a school shooter who killed three children and three adults last year will not be released, according to The New York Times. This decision is in line with the wishes of the families of the surviving children. The judge will allow the police reports, with sections about school safety redacted, to be released when they are ready.
The shooter, Aiden Hale (born Audrey Hale), who was 28 at the time, entered Nashville's Covenant School shortly after 10 a.m. on March 27, 2023, and began shooting. Police killed Hale before 10:30 a.m. Leaked texts in the months after the shooting suggest that Hale had planned the attack and even described it as a “day of death”.
The times reports that the decision to publish Hale's other writings was challenged in court after the shooting. Survivors and school officials believe releasing the writings could inspire killer copycats. journalists, gun rights advocates and a Republican state politician disagree, arguing the writings are in the public interest. The families believe the focus should be on gun safety, while conservatives focus on police reports suggesting the shooter was transgender. The judge's decision is likely to be appealed.
“Access to instant information has also become a social expectation that we all share,” Chancery Court Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles, the judge, wrote in her ruling, according to Times. “However, there are times when this immediate access and demand for information must be balanced and tempered to preserve the integrity of our legal system, particularly the criminal justice system.”
Police say Hale, who had attended the school, had been treated for an emotional disorder and had read about other mass murderers, according to the Times. Authorities don't believe Hale's gender was a factor in the crime, though they still don't have a clear motive.
Last summer, Hale's parents signed over legal ownership of the writings to the families of the surviving students, The times mentionted. This transfer has raised questions about who owns the copyright — the right to publish — of the texts. Chancellor Miles cited this copyright issue as another reason for withholding the documents.
Police found 20 notebooks, five computers, a suicide note and other writings when they searched Hale's home after the shooting. Authorities also uncovered two memoirs, five Covenant School yearbooks and seven cellphones.
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