Audrey Hale’s leaked writings authenticated by Nashville police

Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed the authenticity of writings attributed to school shooter Audrey Hale, as the city’s mayor ripped the fact they leaked to conservative commentator Steven Crowder.

Crowder published three hand written pages authored by Hale before she murdered six people, including three kids, at The Covenant School in March.

The materials indicated deep anti-white animus — especially towards those Hale, who was deeply troubled and identified as transgender, considered “privileged.”

The potential release of Hale’s full writings has caused controversy since the slayings.

While various groups have argued they should be in the public domain, the Covenant school and many victims’ family members have said they want to block them.

“I am deeply concerned with the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a statement after Crowther’s release.

He directed law enforcement officials to find who provided the documents to Crowder, who has defended their dissemination.

“This police department is extremely serious about the investigation to identify the person responsible,” Drake said.

A group of parents whose children were present during the massacre also ripped the leak.

“You have now allowed [the shooter], who terrorized our family with bullets, to be able to now terrorize us with words from the grave,” said Brent Leatherwood, a Covenant parent.

In an interview with Nashville reporter Jeremy Finley, Crowder argued that elements within the Nashville police department were frustrated by a lack of transparency in the case.

Crowder said a source contacted his investigative unit and claimed to be in possession of a portion of Hale’s writings.

His staffer went to meet with the leaker in Nashville, and was shown pictures of documents that were part of a text exchange with a detective.

That officer, Crowder asserted, vouched for their authenticity and his team also did work to corroborate the information.

Prior mass shooter manifestos, he argued, had been “used as a cudgel for gun control” and were released in a timely manner.

“This was one that did not follow along with that narrative,” he said. “And a lot of people thought it was necessary for this to be out. And there are people involved with the Nashville PD who also believe things have not necessarily been transparent.”

Nashville police initially said they would release at least 20 journals and a ‘memoir’ belonging to Hale after their probe was formally closed which they had seized in the aftermath of the shootings.

But they have since cited ongoing lawsuits both in favor of and opposed to the publicizing of the materials in delaying a release.

Three 9-year-olds: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney were shot dead during the rampage.

Three school emplopyees — Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school, custodian Mike Hill, 61, and 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak — were also fatally gunned down.