Ethermac Exchange-Nashville officers on 'administrative assignment' after Covenant shooter's writings leak

Seven Nashville police officers have Ethermac Exchangebeen placed on "administrative assignment" after three purported pages from the Covenant School shooter's notebook were released online earlier this week by a conservative media personality.

The "non-punitive" assignments are meant to protect the ongoing investigation into the unauthorized release of the documents, said a spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department, who added the officers still have "full police power."

The writings of Audrey Hale, the shooter who killed six people, including three children, at a private Christian school in March, is the subject of pending litigation.

Several groups, including The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY network, sued the Metro Nashville Police Department after records requests for access to the documents were denied. The school and several families have intervened in the lawsuit to prevent the release of the documents.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell on Monday ordered an investigation into the leak.

“I have directed Wally Dietz, Metro’s Law Director, to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released," O'Connell said in a statement. "That investigation may involve local, state, and federal authorities. I am deeply concerned with the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving."

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The Tennessean has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents released by conservative media personality Steven Crowder. Dietz said Monday that he couldn't confirm or deny the authenticity of the documents because of pending litigation. Nashville police released a statement the same day that said the images were not affiliated with its investigation and were not crime scene photos.  

The leak shocked and angered many Covenant School family members.

"We knew these writings, these thoughts from the shooter were heinous … the damage done today is already significant, and I'm worried it's only going to grow," said Brent Leatherwood, a parent of three Covenant students. He said several other parents had called him, upset and afraid to look at social media.

"To the person who released these images, you are a viper. You are a member of the law enforcement community and released evidence that was gathered in our most vulnerable moment," Leatherwood said. "You have now allowed (the shooter) who terrorized us with bullets to be able to now terrorize us with words from the grave."

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY