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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) will be reassigning ten officers from within their specialized investigative unit following an investigation into how the Covenant School shooter’s writings got leaked last November.
On March 27th, 2023, an active shooter took the lives of three nine-year-old children and three adult staff members at The Covenant School in Nashville.
At the time police stated that the shooter’s discovered writings would be released once they closed investigation into the horrific event. Lawmakers and the general public still do not have access to the documents almost a year later.
In November of 2023, three photos of pages from the shooter’s writings were made public by conservative commentator Steven Crowder (Louder with Crowder).
These leaked pages are just a small portion of reportedly at least 20 journals, a suicide note, and a memoir.
In response to this information leak, the MNPD launched an investigation into the source of the leak.
The MNPD’s Office of Professional Accountability interviewed officers and forensically examined their electronic devices.
The ten officers that are now being reassigned were questioned as part of the internal investigation into the leak. Seven were then placed on administrative leave, four of which returned to regular duty on November 17th.
The remaining officers have since returned to regular duty as well.
Police stated in December that they had been unable to identify the source of the leak, but that the leak did not come from a current MNPD staff member or officer.
Police said they had “exhausted all available investigative avenues.”
There is one former police detective who had access to images of the shooter’s writings at one point, but the individual declined the MNPD’s interview requests.
According to the MNPD, they do not “have the ability to compel statements or cooperation from former employees.”
The case file has been sent to the Nashville District Attorney’s Office for review but no further action has been announced by the MNPD.
A spokesperson for the department stated last week that this is “a reassignment only” and that the ten officers will transition to unnamed positions within the department.
Their current positions within the specialized investigative unit will be filled.
Through this investigation, the MNPD confirmed that the three cell phone photographs that got leaked were taken by two detectives at The Covenant School immediately after the writings were found inside the shooter’s vehicle.
The legal battle over whether the shooter’s writings should be released to the public is ongoing and currently pending in chancery court.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
