On March 27, nearly a month ago, Audrey Hale murdered six people in a Nashville school before herself being killed by police. Like substantially all mass murderers, Hale was deeply troubled. Among other things, shortly before her rampage she decided that she was, or wanted to be, a man. Her murders came immediately before a national “Trans Day of Vengeance” that was promoted with violent imagery. And the trans movement has, in general, been radical and frequently violent.
After Hale’s death, Nashville authorities announced that she had left behind a number of writings including a “manifesto.” It is reasonable to assume that these writings would shed some light on her motivations. I wrote here about Hale’s manifesto and the reasons why it is likely to be of public interest, notwithstanding the fact that the ravings of mass murderers should normally be given little attention.
Mass shooters’ “manifestos” are normally published, especially when they can be used to put the “right wing” in a bad light. And at the time, Nashville authorities said that Hale’s manifesto would be made public after it had been analyzed by the FBI.
But it has yet to see the light of day. The Daily Wire formally requested the document, but its request has been rejected, at least for now:
Nashville police have denied The Daily Wire‘s request for a copy of a manifesto or diary from the transgender killer who shot up a Christian school March 27, leaving six dead, including three 9-year-olds.
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City Council members said shortly after the incident that there was a “manifesto” and that it would be released. But since then, state and local police have gotten “assistance” from the FBI in psychologically profiling the killer, which has been used as a reason to block release of the materials.
What sense does that make? Releasing the documents will not impede the FBI’s analysis, and in any event, how long does it take for the FBI to create a psychological profile?
On Friday, the Metro Nashville Police Department denied a public records request from The Daily Wire, which is also based in Nashville, for the manifesto and journals, replying “The investigation is still an open case. … Once the case is closed, please re-request at a later date.”
The investigation is still an “open case”? What does that mean? Hale’s guilt is not in doubt, and she is dead. Is the FBI investigating Hale’s possible links to other “trans” extremists?
At least one official who apparently has seen Hale’s writings thinks it would be dangerous to release them:
Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston said that the chilling level of detail in the plan was being used as justification to withhold it, saying “That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.”
I have no idea what that means. We know what Hale’s plan was; she carried it out. How would a “chilling level of detail” be “astronomically dangerous” in “the wrong person’s hands”? In any event, what is of public interest is not the “chilling level of detail” in Hale’s plan, but rather her motivation for having a plan in the first place.
It also is not clear why the FBI is involved. Frankly, the FBI has so closely aligned itself with the Democratic Party that it is hard to avoid speculation that it has intervened to help prevent the release of information that would be damaging to a Democratic Party constituency, the “trans community.”
Is that what is going on? Call me cynical: I can only say that after the revelations of the last seven years, you can’t be cynical enough. If the FBI wants to avoid such speculation, let’s see the manifesto and Hale’s other writings. Now.