Nashville school shooting manifesto: Why killers write about motives

From Fox News.com (May 19):

Audrey Hale, the 28-year-old assailant who killed six people, three of them 9-year-old students, at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, at the end of March, left behind a manifesto, artwork and other writings, according to police.

However, the documents have not yet been released, and lawsuits are demanding their public disclosure.

While police have not revealed a motive, Hale studied previous mass shooters, planned and targeted the school, and left behind an abundant paper trail, according to authorities. Other killers have left similar documents behind, leaving a grim trail of evidence and potentially also inspiring future murderers.

"When people intent on killing others write manifestos, they want their motivation to be publicized," explained Dr. Katherine Ramsland, professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University. "Sometimes, it's a suicide note, but it can also be an attempt to punish or to inspire others to follow their lead."

Ramsland, the author of "Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers," said such killers typically "vent" against people, institutions or their own social standing.

The National Police Association, media outlets and many members of the public want answers. In part, according to the law enforcement group's attorney, the association is concerned that the work of city police is being interfered with by "outside influences" seeking to keep the manifesto secret.

State law is "simple and straightforward" and the documents must be disclosed unless they fall under an exemption, said Doug Pierce, the lawyer representing the National Police Association and private investigator Clata Brewer in a lawsuit against the City of Nashville and Davidson County.

"It's heartbreaking when you think of it, 9-year-old children gunned down," Pierce told Fox News Digital. "It's very sick, sad and heartbreaking."

Under Tennessee law, documents produced or received by government agencies conducting public business become public records unless they fall into an exempted category. City and county officials have argued that there is an ongoing investigation. However, with the shooter dead, attorneys for the NPA and other groups behind similar lawsuits argue there is no active law enforcement proceeding.

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Nashville Metro Police Chief John Drake said investigators had not immediately determined a motive but believed that Hale, a former student, had targeted the school and its affiliated church. The killer studied previous mass murders while plotting the attack, he said.

This is another common trait among mass murderers, [Dr. Katherine] Ramsland [, professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University] said.

"They study other mission-based killers to learn strategies and avoid mistakes because they seek maximum impact," she told Fox News Digital. [read more]

Why can’t the public read this murder’s manifesto? Why the cover up? Isn’t because she identified as a trans? It seems more and more mass killers are identifying as trans for some reason. Maybe someone should look into that.