Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy headed to Nashville on Wednesday and demanded that Gov. Bill Lee release the writings of Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale.
Ramaswamy slammed politicians and law enforcement for their “stonewalled silence” on the deadly shooting by the 28-year-old transgender artists who opened fire in the private elementary school on the morning of March 27.
“We have to learn from tragedy to prevent it in the future,” Ramaswamy told a crowd as he stood in front of Davidson County Courthouse in Nashville Wednesday afternoon.
He railed against Lee, the Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI as he repeated “Tell us the truth,” before adding: “The whole truth, nothing but the truth.”
“I do believe they’re hiding this manifesto,” he added.
Ramaswamy further slammed the FBI for “hiding and sitting on this manifesto” despite having released similar writings in other instances of mass shootings.
He called it “perfectly reasonable” for officials to release a redacted version of the writings.
“But what we do need to know is this killer’s motives, this killer’s psychological state of mind, the truth of the matter is that we have a mental health epidemic in this country that is driving a wave of violence around this country,” he said.
He added: “And we’re going to have to deeply understand it if we are to address it.”
A spokesperson for Lee’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Lee had cited the Covenant School shooting when urging new gun-control legislation, which would include background checks on mental health.
Under the proposed law, people deemed risks to others or themselves would have their firearms taken for up to 180 days.
Lawmakers are slated to mull the legislation at a special session on August 21. Ramaswamy told reporters he had “every expectation that in the next 18 days, he’s going to step up.”
The presidential contender joined an already crowded field — which includes several politicians, a newspaper and gun-rights groups — in seeking the release of Hale’s writings.
They are arguing any potential changes to firearm regulations based on the shooting would not be fair without knowing more about Hale’s motives and mental state.
“I expect Gov. Lee to step up to be a leader. To actually have the spine and courage to confront the truth, rather than convening a special session based on false premises.”
Ramaswamy, an Ohio-based businessman, pointed to several other mass shootings in which, he said, the gunmen’s manifestos were released 48 hours later.
“Yet today, we’re sitting here in August with nothing other than stone-walled silence from our government.
“That is wrong,” he went on. “That does not build public trust that erodes public trust.”
He questioned whether Hale’s sexuality played a role in the lack of transparency.
“It still remains my feeling that if this had not been a transgender shooter, if this had been a shooter of any kind … we would have stuck to the long-standing practice in our country of being transparent within 48 hours,” he said.
“Regardless of what the actual facts are, we, the people deserve to at least know them to reckon with them.”
Hale was shot down by Metro Nashville police after she carried out the killing spree.
Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, were killed, as well as school janitor Mike Hill, 61, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and headmistress Katherine Koonce, 60, who reportedly ran toward the 28-year-old shooter to try to protect the kids.
Hale had written diaries, journals and drawings, which Freedom of Information advocates are seeking to make public despite the school’s and victims’ fierce opposition.
Lee had announced one month after the tragedy that police officials had assured him documents and information related to the Hale would “be released to the public very soon.”
But MNPD reversed course after a pair of lawsuits demanding the documents be released.
The Tennessee Firearms Association, a local newspaper and the National Rifle Association were among the groups suing to have access to the writings, which they argued should be available as part of public records laws.
Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles ruled in May that 100 of Covenant School’s 112 families had a right to intervene in the litigation, and said she would consider arguments from the families’ camp. The Covenant School and Covenant Presbyterian Church have also been allowed to weigh in.
The groups seeking access to the documents have since appealed Myles’ decision and asked the judge to suspend proceedings pending the appeals process.
The Metro Nashville Police Department remains in control of the manifesto, regardless of who technically owns the file. And police have said Hale’s writings are part of an ongoing investigation, which could take another several months.