Nashville shooter writings: What MNPD Chief John Drake says about unauthorized release

Nashville Chief of Police John Drake has issued a statement following the unauthorized release of what conservative media personality Steven Crowder said were documents from the Covenant School shooter online Monday.

“I am greatly disturbed by today’s unauthorized release of three pages of writings from the Covenant shooter," said Drake in a release. "This police department is extremely serious about the investigation to identify the person responsible."

Drake said the release of the documents showed a total disregard for Covenant families as well as the court system, which currently have control of the shooter’s journals due to litigation filed earlier this year.

"We are not at liberty to release the journals until the courts rule," he said. "Our police department looks forward to the ultimate resolution of the litigation concerning the journals.”

Nashville mayor orders an investigation

Following the release of the documents, Nashville mayor Freddie O'Connell ordered an investigation into how they could have been released.

"That investigation may involve local, state, and federal authorities," said O'Connell. "I am deeply concerned with the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving.

The Tennessean has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents released by Crowder.

Several groups, including The Tennessean, sued Metro Nashville after those records requests were denied. The school and Covenant families are intervening in the lawsuit and seeking to prevent the city from releasing the records. The case remains pending in court.

The Tennessean has no plans to publish the writings verbatim and has sought to center coverage on public policy, the victims and the community. The news organization, for instance, profiled each of the victims and their contributions and visited dozens of houses of worship following the March shooting to learn how the community was dealing with the tragedy.

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Nashville police chief said about Covenant shooter writings leaked