NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A newly released opinion by a three-judge panel ruled The Covenant School families will have the ability to speak in court on whether documents written by the mass shooter should go public.
"For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the trial court’s judgment allowing intervention," the judges wrote in their conclusion.
NewsChannel 5 has covered this case since the first day. A lot has happened since six people, including three children, were killed inside The Covenant School in March. The shooter was also killed.
This summer, The Covenant School parents filed statements arguing the shooter's writings should not be released. Two of those statements came from parents who lost their children that day.
Five different groups have asked the court to release all the documents Metro Police obtained from the shooter. All five — the Tennessee Firearms Association, National Police Association, the Tennessee Star, The Tennessean newspaper, and Sen. Todd Gardenhire — have argued continuously for a full release of the documents. Those petitioners were the reason the case went to an appeals court.
Metro Police said the shooter had several journals detailing plans for the shooting and had been planning the attack for months. So far, police have indicated it would take a year to analyze all of the writings and documents from the shooter.
As of this summer, the writings — still in possession of Metro Legal — would go into the newly established Covenant Children's Trust. Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz said the documents were given to his department before they were placed under seal by the court.
Because of the three-judge panel's ruling, the case should go back to the Davidson County Chancery Court before Judge I'Ashea L. Myles. The petitioners could appeal the ruling to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
What happened on the day of The Covenant School shooting?
On the morning of the massacre, the shooter sent an Instagram message to a former middle school basketball teammate.
The shooter said the plan was to die by suicide and that teammate would see it on the news. In the messages the teammate provided to NewsChannel 5, the shooter said that the former teammate would have to see them again in another life. The shooter told the teammate about no longer wanting to live and the need to die.
When police searched the shooter's car and home the day of the shooting, they collected dozens of items including guns, a suicide note, journals, and more. All of those seized documents remain in police custody.
Those that died were:
- Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
- Hallie Scruggs, 9
- William Kinney, 9
- Cynthia Peak, 61
- Katherine Koonce, 60
- Mike Hill, age 61
Did The Covenant School documents get leaked?
Three images of the shooter's documents from the day of the shooting were made public by a conservative online talk show host.
None of the documents have been made available to the public since the March 27 mass shooting that left three adults and three children dead. NewsChannel 5 does not have and has never seen the shooter's writings. We have repeatedly requested their release as part of a public records request.
The leaked images of the Covenant school shooter's writings were in notebooks. One of the pictures appears to show a gloved hand holding the notebook. Another image shows a Metro Nashville Police SUV in the background.
Two of the images show different pieces of notebook paper titled "Death Day."
One of the pages laid out what appears to be a schedule for the shooter. But the times don't match up with what actually happened on March 27. One of the sticky notes on the schedule included the note of a lunchtime. The other page titled "Death Day" had a drawing of a gun pointing at a target at the top of the page.
The shooter's writings are hate-filled and graphic. One part says: "I'm a little nervous but excited too. Been excited for the past 2 weeks." It goes on to say, "Can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm ready. I hope my victims aren't." It goes on to say, "God let my wrath take over my anxiety." The writings say the shooter hopes for a high death count.
The other page is dated Feb. 3 — less than two months before the shooting. The writings refer to the shooter's views on children who go to private schools and a desire to kill them. All three pieces of paper appear to be signed by the shooter.
What happened after the images surfaced?
After Metro Police confirmed the images were real, seven officers were placed on administrative assignment during a full investigation into how those images wound up on the internet.
The investigation is ongoing, but four of the seven have returned to regular duty.
NewsChannel 5 has reached out to both The Covenant School families and the attorneys in the case.
I am so inspired by Sheila Gann's love for her husband and her resilience. Anyone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer's knows how cruel this disease is - not only for the patient but also for those who love and care for them. Mike and Sheila clearly had a remarkable love story, and she is now honoring that in the most beautiful way. Thanks to Forrest Sanders for sharing their story.
-Carrie Sharp
