manifesto Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

Sen. Gardenhire, Tennessean file public records lawsuits; Covenant parents seek to intervene

By Deborah Fisher|2023-05-19T11:39:51-05:00May 18, 2023|Categories: crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Audrey Hale, Brent Gibson, Covenant parents, Covenant Presbyterian Church, crime records, crime victims, Eric G. Osborne, Holland & Knight, manifesto, Mike Hagar, Robb Harvey, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, The Covenant School shooting, The Tennessean, Todd Gardenhire|0 Comments

The fight over the release of the Covenant School shooter's manifesto and other writings escalated Wednesday with state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, and The Tennessean filing a public records lawsuit against Metro Nashville, and unnamed Covenant School parents filing motions to intervene in the current cases. Also, Assistant Police Chief Mike Hagar and police Lt. Brent Gibson filed declarations that police are still trying to determine if the shooter had any assistance planning the shooting or purchasing the weapons, with Gibson stating that it will take about 12 months to finish the investigation.

Tennessee Star editor Leahy sues FBI for withholding Covenant shooter manifesto

Tennessee Star editor Michael Patrick Leahy and his company, Star News Digital Media, Inc., filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the FBI for withholding the Covenant School shooter's manifesto under the Freedom of Information Act. The FBI denied access to the manifesto, which it received from Nashville police, saying that it and other writings by the shooter were involved in a "pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding" and that release could interfere with a law enforcement proceeding.