logo
FBI director opens up files on Nashville school shooting to lawmaker for first time

FBI director opens up files on Nashville school shooting to lawmaker for first time

Yahoo19-05-2025

A Tennessee congressman viewed documents relating to the 2023 Covenant school shooting for the first time, praising the Director Kash Patel-led FBI for upholding the Trump administration's "radical transparency" promise.
Rep. John Rose told Fox News Digital he was offered full access to the documents, including the writings of suspect Audrey Hale, a transgender woman who was a former student and killed three children and three adults on March 27 of that year.
The GOP lawmaker said he sent a letter to the FBI the month after the shooting and received a response in November telling him to effectively seek what he was looking for from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
He contrasted that with Patel's FBI's quick turnaround in accessing the documents.
Covenant School Trans Shooter Plotted Nashville Attack For Years, Kept Notebooks And Plans: Final Report
"They are primarily comprised of the writings and work of the perpetrator of the Covenant School shooting. But they do provide a great deal of insight and I think confirm some of the suspicions that I've had all along," Rose said.
Read On The Fox News App
"We really never received a response [regarding a document inquiry] from the Metro National Police Department (MNPD) one way or the other… We got a letter that was really non-responsive and basically indicated they would not release the information to us. So it's remarkable that in just a little over 40 days that new FBI Director Kash Patel has made this information available for us to look at."
Many of the documents have been under seal and are the subject of legal battles in the Volunteer State.
Nashville Chancery Court Chancellor I'ashea Myles ruled in 2024 that much of Hale's writings are protected by copyright law, which trumps the state's records statute.
An official with the MNPD told Fox News Digital there was also concern in the courts and among law enforcement that the detailed writings could inspire copycat violence.
"This investigation was meticulous and ran through this year and at the conclusion of the investigation we issued the 48-page summary," the official told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
"There exists to this day the Chancery Court, an order that restricts the shooter's writing from being publicly released [but] through the 48-page summary, we've wanted all to know what our findings were in this mass shooting case; in the days after our officers responded so bravely into the building to stop the threat," the official added.
Nashville School Shooting Manifesto: Why Killers Write About Motives
The MNPD said they were aware the FBI was contemplating releasing some of the material and echoed copycat-related concerns – and that the bureau understood those reservations and redacted parts of what has been witnessed by Rose.
However, Rose said that after Patel allowed him to view the documents, he is "more assured than ever" that the information within should be made public so that people can better understand the tragedy.
He disputed claims that the MNPD has been entirely forthright, saying, "I think they've just stonewalled… and frankly I think that makes it impossible for policymakers, legislators to take any action with respect to the incidents around this heinous act that happened back in March of 2023," he said.
"We simply can't be expected to take action when we don't understand the nature of this crime. And so the public is entitled to that information, but as policymakers, I feel like we simply cannot be expected to make a policy based on innuendo and supposition when the information is available."
Read the Nashville police report here.
"And had this been any other significant crime of this nature, including a mass shooting, we know from historic precedent that virtually all of this information would have been released in the normal course for public inspection and consideration."
As for sensitivity, he said that there is "tough information" in what he has seen and that he has sympathy for the victims of the shooting, but that in order to protect society, the information currently being held should be accessible to better understand the perpetrator and more.
MNPD denied any stonewalling allegation and cited the Chancery Court order in its response.
Rose did, however, appear to support some of the redactions, suggesting that a careful review process could allow documents from and about the shooter to be used in understanding the "heinous crime," identifying others who may be responsible and examining how society may have missed chances to prevent it.
Nashville police also released their final report on the shooting, first reported at the time by Fox News Digital.
Rather than a highly anticipated manifesto, the report found that Hale left behind numerous notebooks, art books and computer documents about plans to commit the attack and gain notoriety, partly inspired by the Columbine school shooting in 1999.
Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.Original article source: FBI director opens up files on Nashville school shooting to lawmaker for first time

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Reports: Virginia Democrats outdoing Republicans in raising campaign contributions
Reports: Virginia Democrats outdoing Republicans in raising campaign contributions

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Reports: Virginia Democrats outdoing Republicans in raising campaign contributions

Democratic House of Delegates hopeful Kimberly Pope Adams raised the second-highest amount in Virginia of contributions to House campaigns for the latest campaign reporting period, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Pope Adams, who has already locked up the Democratic nomination in the 82nd House District, reported a total of $262,048 in money raised for the April 1-June 5 window, based on data from the Virginia Department of Elections that was compiled by VPAP. That trailed only House Speaker Don Scott of Portsmouth, who raised just over $344,000 for the period. Political watchers were keeping a close eye on this round of reports, the last before the crucial June 17 party primaries across Virginia. Like Pope Adams, Scott already has the Democratic nod sewn up. He also does not appear to have any GOP opposition this year. The only House primary next week in the Tri-City area is in District 75 where three Democrats are vying to oppose Republican incumbent Carrie Coyner. In that contest, Lindsey Dougherty continues to outdistance Dustin Wade and Stephen Miller-Pitts. For the reporting period, Dougherty raised $171,695, compared to $136,276 for Wade and $4,471 for Miller-Pitts. As of June 5, Wade showed more than $100,000 in cash on hand over Dougherty and five times more than Miller-Pitts. VPAP reported Dougherty raising the sixth-highest amount of contributions for the period, and Wade the 12th. Dougherty and Miller-Pitts ran against Coyner in the 2019 and 2023 elections, respectively. The 75th District covers all of Hopewell and portions of Chesterfield and Prince George counties. More: The primary menu for June 17: Heavy on the state races and a first time for Petersburg In the 82nd District [Petersburg, Surry County, portions of Dinwiddie and Prince George], Pope Adams continues to run away from GOP incumbent Kim Taylor in campaign contributions. For the latest reporting period, Pope Adams' total was more than four times that of Taylor, who listed receiving $64,489 in donations. Her cash-on-hand amount of $289,468 was eight times more than Taylor's $34,502. The race is a rerun of 2023's race, one of the top three most expensive contests in recent Virginia political history. Taylor squeaked out a victory over Pope Adams by only 53 votes following a recount, and Democrats are clocking the 2025 race as pivotal in holding their slim majority in the House for the next two years. Pope Adams' contributions included $25,000 from the Clean Virginia Fund on April 23, $7,500 from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC on May 14, and three $5,000 donations from Elizabeth Simons on May 29, The Next 50 PAC on April 30 and Fund Her PAC on April 29. Taylor's largest contributions for the period were $20,000 from the Dominion Energy PAC on May 8, $10,000 from the Wren Williams for Delegate campaign on April 24, and identical $7,500 amounts from Friends of Scott Wyatt on April 2 and Chris Runion for Delegate on June 5. The reports indicate Taylor getting three donations of $100 or less, and Pope Adams receiving 1,461. More: House GOP incumbent lauds endorsement from local Democratic group. Democrats cry 'foul' In the 75th District primary, Dougherty received two contributions totaling $80,000 from the super PAC Secure Progress and $35,000 from the campaign of Democratic Del. Dan Helmer. Wade's top donations were $5,000 from himself and two donations from Anita Thurston totaling $4,500. Miller-Pitts' sole contribution of over $100 for the period was $250 from Rhonda Clanton-Davis. Coyner, a Republican seeking her fourth term in the House, received $69,056 in contributions over the period. Her largest donations were $10,000 from Carolyn Williams, $7,500 from Strong Start PAC, and three of $5,000 each from Thomas McInerney, Vision Management Services, and Clean Virginia Fund. Records indicate her having $315,350 in cash on hand as of June 5. The district traditionally leans Republican. Coyner has won re-election with as much as 55% of the vote, but Democrats still target her as vulnerable. In Petersburg, history is being made with the first-ever Democratic primary for the constitutional officer Commissioner of the Revenue. Incumbent Brittani Flowers is being challenged by Mary 'Liz Stith' Howard for the right to be the Democrat on the November ballot. Five years ago, the Virginia General Assembly voted to allow any local-office candidate [except School Board] to seek official party backing. The law went into effect last year, as Petersburg Vice Mayor Darrin Hill received the Democratic nomination for his Ward 2 seat by acclimation. The commissioner primary is the first contested one in Petersburg. Campaign records show Flowers receiving just shy of $3,000 in contributions for the reporting period. Her largest donations were $500 from former state Senate candidate Waylin Ross and $300 from Bernard Flowers Jr. Howard did not record any contributions for the reporting period. Petersburg City Councilor Marlow Jones, who is running as an independent for Virginia's lieutenant governor, raised $700 in donations during the latest reporting period. Five hundred dollars came from three contributions of more than $100. The remaining $200 was split among five contributions of less than $100. To see the latest donation data for any race this year, click on the VPAP website. Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Virginia primary 2025: Campaign finance reports show money pouring in

Judge strikes reference to Madigan's personal fortune of more than $40 million from sentencing record
Judge strikes reference to Madigan's personal fortune of more than $40 million from sentencing record

Chicago Tribune

time27 minutes ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Judge strikes reference to Madigan's personal fortune of more than $40 million from sentencing record

A federal judge on Tuesday struck from the court record a reference to former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan's personal net worth of more than $40 million, agreeing with his defense team that it should have been kept private, even as the attorneys acknowledged the move was 'hollow' given that it was already widely publicized. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said he didn't find any 'bad faith' on the part of the federal prosecutors who included the figure in a filing last week ahead of Madigan's highly anticipated sentencing on Friday, but found that common practice would be to file such personal information under seal. Blakey's ruling came before the attorneys delivered arguments over sentencing guidelines at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, technically kicking off the sentencing process. Blakey took the matter under advisement until Friday's hearing. Federal prosecutors made Madigan's net worth public for the first time in a response to a sentencing memorandum filed by his attorneys, arguing that the defendant's 'greed is even more appalling given his law firm's success.' Daniel Collins, an attorney for Madigan, called the inclusion of the former speaker's personal fortune improper and a 'gratuitous effort' to publicly identify his net worth. 'It is not necessary to include the number in order for the government to make an argument about greed,' Collins said. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker countered to the judge that the defense left the door open by arguing in filings that Madigan was solely motivated by a desire to help people. She also said the figure is relevant as the government seeks a fine in the case. 'It's fair for the government to rebut that narrative and show the defendant was motivated by greed not need,' Streicker said. 'This is a defendant that enjoyed every advantage and significant financial wealth and still turned to bribery and fraud.' In February, Madigan was convicted of 10 of 23 counts, including marquee allegations that he agreed to squeeze lucrative, do-nothing contracts from ComEd for pals such as former Ald. Frank Olivo and Ald. Michael Zalewski and precinct captains Ray Nice and Edward Moody, all while the utility won a series of major legislation victories. Madigan was also convicted on six of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get former Ald. Daniel Solis, a key FBI mole who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board. Jurors deadlocked on all six counts related to Madigan's co-defendant former ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain.

Trump administration asks federal court not to dismiss charges against Milwaukee County judge
Trump administration asks federal court not to dismiss charges against Milwaukee County judge

Yahoo

time31 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump administration asks federal court not to dismiss charges against Milwaukee County judge

Protesters gather outside of the Milwaukee FBI office to speak out against the arrest of Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner) Prosecutors for the Trump administration filed a brief Monday requesting that a federal judge not dismiss the government's indictment against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan. Dugan faces criminal charges after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI, arrived in the Milwaukee County Courthouse April 18 to arrest 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz for being in the country illegally. Flores-Ruiz was set to appear in Dugan's courtroom that day for a status hearing on misdemeanor charges against him. When Dugan learned that the agents were outside her courtroom, she confronted them and learned they only had an administrative warrant, which was issued by an agency official and not a judge. An administrative warrant doesn't allow agents to enter private spaces in the courthouse such as Dugan's courtroom. Later, while the agents were waiting for Flores-Ruiz in the hallway outside the main courtroom door, Dugan sent him and his attorney out a side door into the hallway. One of the agents rode down the elevator with Flores-Ruiz and he was later arrested on the street. Dugan-DOJ-Filing Dugan was charged with concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor, and obstruction, which is a felony. Last month, Dugan's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case against her, arguing she was acting in her official capacity as a judge and therefore immune from prosecution for her actions and that the federal government is impinging on the state of Wisconsin's authority to operate its court system. The case drew national attention, with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel both making public statements about Dugan's arrest before she'd even been indicted. Legal experts have questioned the strength of the federal government's case and accused Trump officials of grandstanding to make a political point. In the Monday filing, federal prosecutors argued that dismissing the case would ignore previously established law that allows judges to face criminal charges. 'Such a ruling would give state court judges carte blanche to interfere with valid law enforcement actions by federal agents in public hallways of a courthouse, and perhaps even beyond,' the prosecutors argued. 'Dugan's desired ruling would, in essence, say that judges are 'above the law,' and uniquely entitled to interfere with federal law enforcement.' Dugan is set to appear for trial on July 21. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store