Nashville police have ended the investigation into who leaked documents related to the Covenant School shooting — without an answer as to how three pages of the assailant’s journal ended up in the hands of a conservative YouTuber.
Police determined that the three leaked photos were taken by two detectives in the Specialized Investigation Division immediately after discovering the journals in the assailant’s car.
A former detective who possessed the images as part of his official duties declined to be interviewed by police, and the department cannot compel statements or cooperation from former employees.
The case file documenting the investigation is headed to Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office for review.
Parents of the Covenant School have fought the release of the assailant’s journals in court, citing concerns that those writings could re-traumatize students.
“These writings do have the ability to inspire further attacks. Not just on us, on other communities,” said Brent Leatherwood, who represents Covenant families. “We saw this in Allen, Texas, where that shooter referenced the Covenant shooter. How many more people have to be killed in a senseless way so that you can get clicks?”
Leatherwood said whoever leaked the photos has committed a felony.
“What have we learned?” Leatherwood said. “Did we not already know that this was a deeply disturbed individual, who is detached from reality? What more evidence was needed?”
Three students and three staff members were killed during the March school shooting.
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