NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In the latest move in the court system, two Metro Nashville Police Department officers have issued declarations to not yet release The Covenant School documents, indicating processing everything they obtained through the search warrant could take up to a year.
The declarations by MNPD Assistant Chief Mike Hagar and Lt. Brent Gibson said that police were still actively investigating the mass shooting that left six people dead in addition to the shooter at The Covenant School. Of the six who died, three of them were children. The two said even though the shooter died the investigation doesn't "automatically close."
"Based on my 34 years of police experience in law enforcement, I believe that harmful and irreversible consequences could result in disclosing investigative files prematurely in this case," Hagar wrote.
At the time of the search warrant at the shooter's house, authorities cataloged 47 items including guns, a suicide note, journals and more. Hagar said homicide detectives are working this case on a daily basis in addition to the other deaths that have occurred in Nashville so far this year. Hagar said the police need to rule out any chance of anyone else helping the shooter in this case.
These declarations were filed for two of the now five lawsuits for the public records in this case. In this situation, the declarations were for the Tennessee Firearms Association and National Police Association lawsuit. Three other lawsuits also remain open via The Tennessee Star, The Tennessean newspaper and from a Tennessee state senator.
Parents of The Covenant School victims and surviving students also filed a motion in court asking for no release of the shooter's documents, even redacted versions to the public.
The suit represents 75% of families associated with The Covenant School. The motion for intervention was filed in relation to two of the three existing lawsuits: The Tennessee Firearms Association and the National Police Association. Within the last week, both The Covenant Church and The Covenant School have filed their own motions for intervention.
A status hearing on the records will happen as early as Monday, May 22.
