Nashville shooter's manifesto could shed light on motives for her crimes

After the latest shooting at a Presbyterian school in Nashville, Tennessee, the reasons behind Audrey Hale's attack remain unknown. Authorities claimed Tuesday morning to be in possession of a manifesto recovered from the attacker's home. The letter could contain the necessary clues to understand what motivated Audrey Hale to enter her old school armed and murder six people.

On Tuesday, Tennessee Republican Senator Tim Burchett told Fox News that the contents of the manifesto found among Hale's personal belongings should be made public. According to Burchett, it is important to know the content of the manifesto in order to be able to "know what was going through this person's head." Burchett said that trans youth have problems that need help and solutions. "If they don't get the help they need, they can develop serious problems," said Burchett, who also added that "obviously not everyone will become a shooter."

His fellow caucus member, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, said the Nashville Presbyterian school shooting should be treated as a hate crime against Christians. According to Hawley, the shooting was clearly targeted at a particular community, which would make it a federal hate crime.

Rainbow Reload

A few days before the Covenant School tragedy in Nashville, the press learned about Rainbow Reload, a group that promotes the use of guns among the LGBTQ+ community to prevent a "trans genocide." Tucker Carlson talked on his show about how an NPR report positively reviewed this group because it seems that the public radio service only favors the use of guns for those in line with its ideologies. NPR, which supports President Joe Biden's gun control programs, has so far positioned itself against broader readings of the Second Amendment.

The manifesto found among Hale's personal belongings could shed light on whether the shooter was part of one of these groups or shared their ideology. Rainbow Reload’s rhetoric, as can be seen in a report that LGBTQ+ Nation dedicated to the issue, calls attention to the hostile climate of violence towards members of the trans community, and pushes trans community members to arm themselves and respond to threats. "There are people who just by looking at me will want to hurt me," one of the members of the armed trans group told LGBTQ+ Nation, a sign of the strange climate perceived by this community.

While no connections can or should be made, this is not the first time a member of the trans community has been responsible for a tragedy like the one in Nashville. In April, a march is planned to take place in Washington DC with the slogan "Trans Day of Vengeance.” According to the DailyWire, this rally will raise money to finance gun courses for the trans community and to prevent "trans genocide." This celebration follows the "Trans Day of Visibility,” because according to the co-founder of the Trans Radical Activists Network, Tsukuru Fors, "visibility is no longer enough."

If Hale's manifesto is ever released, it may shed some light on the most recent tragic event. Several people who were close to Hale and her family told the media that they were shocked by what happened. According to one of these sources, no one was aware that Hale knew how to handle firearms, let alone that she owned one. The shooter's family spoke out against firearms on social media.

On Tuesday afternoon, Hale's most recent social media posts were revealed. She told former classmates at her school that she intended to commit suicide. In these same messages, she clearly stated that she left behind enough clues to explain the situation. At no time did Hale talk about carrying out a school shooting, but she did mention that "you'll be hearing from me on the news soon."