NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ChurchMilitant.com) — A conservative broadcaster read live on air a chilling portion of the Nashville shooter’s manifesto, revealing racially charged motives behind the tragic school shooting that left six children dead.
Steven Crowder, host of Louder with Crowder, divulged excerpts from three pages of Audrey Hale’s notes about the day of the shooting, highlighting her aspiration for a “high death count” and an expressed intent to target children benefiting from “white privileges.”
She explained she would kill those “going to fancy private schools with those fancy khakis + sports backpacks w/ their daddies mustangs + convertibles.”
Hale added, “Wanna kill all you little crackers!!! Bunch of little faggots w/ your white privileges.”
A part of Audrey Hale’s manifesto
Tug-of-War Over Transparency
Prior to Crowder’s release, the city had been embroiled in a legal and ethical dilemma. The private writings of the individual responsible for the March tragedy — which resulted in the deaths of six, including three children — had been fiercely guarded by the victims’ families and the school community. Their aim was to protect the already traumatized community and prevent any potential glorification of the shooter that could incite similar future acts.
On the other side of the debate stood a coalition of media outlets, nonprofits and a Republican lawmaker, all pushing for the release of the writings. They argued that such information could prove instrumental in understanding the motivations behind such shootings, which could, in turn, aid in preventing them.
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The complexity of the case was compounded by the shooter’s “transgender” status, which led some, like U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to classify the shooting as a hate crime — a theory that gained traction in conservative circles due to the nondisclosure of the writings.
In the ongoing legal battle, advocates for the public release contended that it was in the interest of public safety and policymaking. In contrast, those seeking to keep the writings under wraps, including The Covenant School and many parents, pointed to the risks of sensationalizing the shooter’s words, which could inspire copycats.
