The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced that it has closed its investigation into the leaked manifesto of the Covenant School shooter, according to a Friday press release.
In March, a 28-year-old female, who identified as a transgender male, shot and killed three children and three adults at the Nashville Christian school.
Last month, Steven Crowder’s “Louder with Crowder” obtained three pages of the shooter’s manifesto that detailed her plans and schedule for the day of the attack, which she referred to as “death day.” The writings, which were found at the shooter’s home, have been withheld from public release.
The three leaked pages revealed that the killer hoped to have “a high death count.”
“Kill those kids!!!” the shooter’s journal read. “Those crackers going to private fancy schools with those fancy kwakis [sic] + sports backpacks. W/ thier daddies [sic] mustangs + convertables [sic].”
The MNPD later confirmed the authenticity of the pages.
The department placed seven officers on administrative assignment while it launched an investigation to determine who leaked the photographs of the three pages.
“Seven individuals are on administrative assignment (absolutely non-punitive) to protect the integrity of the active, progressing investigation,” a police department spokesman said last month. “All seven have full police power. We are not identifying any of the seven by name. Not fair to them.”
It is unclear how the seven officers were connected to the Covenant School shooting investigation.
MNPD Chief John Drake stated that he was “greatly disturbed” by the unauthorized release.
“This police department is extremely serious about the investigation to identify the person responsible,” Drake continued. “This action showed a total disregard for Covenant families, as well as the court system, which has control of the shooter’s journals at the present time due to litigation filed earlier this year.”
Despite the department’s proclaimed commitment to identifying the leaker, late last week, it announced that it was closing the inconclusive investigation.
A press release stated that the MNPD “exhausted all available investigative avenues.”
“The investigation has not identified current MNPD employees, or employees of any partner agency, as engaging in the unauthorized release of the images. Persons placed on administrative assignment for certain periods during the pendency of the investigation have returned to their regular duties,” the statement read.
The MNPD noted that it attempted to interview a former detective who had possession of the images as part of his official role, but he declined.
“The department does not have the ability to compel statements or cooperation from former employees,” it added.
“The investigation, led by the police department’s Office of Professional Accountability, determined that the three cell phone photographs were taken in the immediacy of the moment just after the shooter’s journals were discovered in her vehicle. Two detectives assigned to the Specialized Investigations Division took the photos (one detective took two photos, the other took one) as part of intelligence gathering to learn more about the shooter and determine whether anyone else was involved with her,” the department stated.
District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office will review the case file.
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