By Bill Juneau, January 1, 2024The big controversy in and around Nashville, Tenn., is the guarded "manifesto" of the transitioning Audrey Hale, who gunned down three small children and three adults in an explosion of hate for young Christian "crackers."
Last March, the 28-year-old Hale who was in a mid-gender change from female to male, blasted her way through a glass door of the Christian Covenant Elementary school. Using a rifle and two handguns and firing off some 126 bullets, Hale shot and killed three nine-year-old children, a boy and two girls, and three adult supervisors, including the head teacher, a substitute teacher, and the school custodian. Responding Nashville police officers shot and killed Hale as she held to her guns.
Reportedly, Hale, who at one time was a pupil in the Christian school, had put together extensive plans for how she would take down occupants. Her journals, diaries and plans have all been confiscated from her home and from inside her automobile. All of her papers are in the hands of police authorities in Nashville, who are declining to make them public, in deference to woke and progressive requests.
The Covenant campus, founded in 2001, is in an affluent part of Nashville known as Green Hills and is the educational home to some 200 pupils in preschool to sixth grade. Students have bible classes and attend chapel services daily.
The LGBTQ organizations have raised their voices with objections to the release of Hale's writings, noting that life for a transgender person is very difficult and has been made even tougher because of the "virtual avalanche" of anti-trans legislation. Certainly, said the Trans Resistance Network (TRN) in a statement, Hale's confrontation of the anti-trans sentiment must be factored into the fatal shootings at the Christian school.
The families of murdered victims are siding with holding back the manifesto from public scrutiny. Their belief, it is reported, is that release to the public would could cause more traumatic problems and perhaps encourage action by "copy cats."
Steven Crowder, a conservative talk show host, revealed on-line photo films of the documents in question, and supplied comments contained therein of Hale's personal observations and opinions. His disclosures are being termed an unauthorized "leak" and efforts are underway to find out how the conservative Crowder obtained the hands-off materials.
The "leak" to Crowder has increased the commotion and controversy in and around Nashville. Although Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee favors release of the manifesto in accord with the people's right to know, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell opposes it, and has ordered an investigation in an all-out effort to find and apparently punish the "leaker." Nashville newsman Brent Leatherwood described the leaker as a "viper."
In the Crowder on-line revelations, he showed films of a pile of Hale's journals, books and miscellaneous papers he had been made privy to, and revealed some words and written plans of Hale's to kill children. Crowder, who promotes his conservative show as "Louder with Crowder," stands by his reporting noting that citizens have an absolute right to know about the thinking of a transitioning woman who wants to be a man, and is filled with hate for Christians and for the elementary school where she attended the 3d and 4th grades.
The leaked information to Crowder also told of Hale's desire to "kill all you little f.....rs and crackers with white privilege," and to have "a high death count." She wrote that she was a transgendered man, and her name was now "Aiden."
Another page pointed to by Crowder included an hour-by-hour calendar referred to by Hale as "Death Day." That disclosure included comments like "get dressed" and "eat breakfast;" and "prepare for attack" and "time 2 die." Hale added that "I'm a little nervous, but excited too. Been excited for the past 2 weeks,.....Can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm ready... I hope my victims aren't."
Last November seven Nashville policemen were placed on the administrative duty roster and the transfer gave the impression that one or more of the officers may have had their fingers in providing the sensitive information to Crowder. A few weeks later, however, four of the seven were recalled to regular duty, but the other three are remaining on desk duty as the investigation ordered by Mayor O'Connell continues. None of the officers have been identified.
Conservative TV anchors and Republican politicians are continuing to request that the full story of Hale's assault and murder of six persons be revealed in its entirety. Transparency in government demands that the "manifesto" be made public. If the process of transitioning filled Audrey Hale with hate and inspired (her or him) to shoot up a school, the public and "trans" aspirants should be so informed, said Laura Ingraham who anchors the Fox News show, "the Ingraham Angle." .
Vivek Ramaswamy, a GOP candidate for U.S. President, has called for the release of the guarded manifesto. It will, said Ramaswamy, "expose Hale's evil ideology and her radical agenda." Ingraham said that Ramaswamy is among the few who dare to stand up to the "woke mob" and that qualifies him as a genuine Nashville hero.
Hale's parents have told newsmen that their daughter suffered from an "emotional disorder" and was being counseled by a doctor. Some believe that she may have become stressed over contemplated "bottom surgery."
Hale, unbeknownst to her parents, owned seven various type guns, all of which she purchased legally. He father said that it was their belief that Audrey had owned one gun some time ago, but had sold it. All of Hale's weapons have been seized by police and are being examined by ballistic experts.
In the minutes before Hale entered the school and began firing, she had sent an Instagram to an old friend, Paige Patton, a Nashville radio host who uses the name "Averianna."
Said Hale: "I'm planning to die today. This is not a joke. You will probably hear about me on the news after I die.... This is my last goodbye--love you--see you again in another life."
The shooting began 13 minutes later.
Bill Juneau worked for 25 years as a reporter and night city editor at the Chicago Tribune. Subsequently he became a partner in a law firm and also served as a village prosecutor and as a consultant to the Cook County Circuit Court and to the Cook County Medical Examiner. He is currently writing columns and the 'Florida Bill' blog.
