The newly released writings of the Nashville Covenant School shooter offer deeper insight into the killer’s mindset, revealing disturbing psychological details that were absent from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s 48-page final report.
The documents, totaling more than 1,000 pages, were turned over to the House Intelligence Committee with minimal redactions. Soon after, journalist Megyn Kelly revealed on her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, the gaps her team found in the police department’s report.
“[The full set of journals written by the Nashville Covenant School shooter] have never been published or released before. Moreover, they appear to have been mischaracterized by Nashville authorities last week,” Kelly said.
“The information contained within the pages is dark, deranged, and newsworthy. It provides clear insight into the depraved mind of the killer,” Kelly added.
Kelly raised concerns that the Nashville police may have misclassified the shooter’s journals, choosing not to label them as a manifesto despite the nature of their contents. She claims that in its final report, Nashville police noted that early in the investigation, it was believed the shooter left behind a manifesto. Police argued that a true manifesto is a single, clear document outlining motives — something they claim was never found.
However, the shooter, identified as “Audrey,” left behind a collection of journals, which she signed under the name “Aiden.”
Kelly claimed in her podcast that the police department selectively summarized these journals, downplaying certain details, including the shooter’s struggles with gender identity.
The shooter, who killed three nine-year-old children and three adults at the Covenant Presbyterian Church and School on March 27, 2023, was fatally shot by responding officers. The Nashville Police Department first acknowledged the existence of journals recovered from the shooter’s car and home but declined to release their contents at the time, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Nashville police report noted the shooter’s autism diagnosis, along with references to their claim of being “transgender.” The shooter had reportedly adopted the name “Aiden” and used he/him pronouns, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“And that is all it says about her gender obsession. No detailed psychological analysis, no exploration of the killer’s gender struggles, feelings of racial animus, or of how those factors contributed to the slaughter,” Kelly said.
While Kelly stopped short of quoting the so-called manifesto in full, allegedly out of respect for the victims and their families, she read excerpts that provide a clearer picture of the shooter’s state of mind.
The excerpts reveal Audrey’s frustration with learning of the possibility of “transitioning genders” too late in life, her discomfort over being raised as a female, and her hatred of white people and Americans, even though she was a white person herself. The journals also revealed her fascination with other mass shooters and guns.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has yet to issue a formal response to Kelly’s release of the documents and claims. As of the time of publication, the department has not responded to The Dallas Express for comment.
Victims of the Covenant shooting were Evelyn Diez, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs – all 9 years old- along with custodian Mike Hill, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, and Head of School Katherine Koonz.