Audrey Hale, the 28-year-old transgender shooter who attacked The Covenant School last week, was armed with two assault-style weapons, a rifle, and a pistol, as well as a handgun, and fatally shot three children and three staff members before being found and killed by police. Charles Moran, the national president of Log Cabin Republicans, a GOP organization that advocates for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, stated “While it would certainly give insight into the motivations of this distraught individual that could help shed light into root causes, we know from tragedies like this that additional glorification of the shooter could inspire others to take similar violent acts for attention.”

“Regardless of the shooter’s intentions, the real issue here is the ease of access to deadly weapons in Tennessee and elsewhere.” “All children, no matter who their parents are or how they identify, should feel safe and supported at school. This includes a world free from gun violence.” Moran also said that Log Cabin would defer to authorities on whether the manifesto should be shared with the public. 

While many believe that the root of this problem is transphobia (from Hale’s parents, who never accepted Audrey’s transition to “Aiden” and never allowed her to express herself in the household) or Republicans, who are now using this tragedy as leverage to push for banning trans-rights and transitional care for trans youth. This is not what this is about. Tennessee is a state where the majority of the common population can purchase firearms, even automatically, and allowing them to do so, ends up in situations like these. Furthermore, after this incident, the Tennessee House’s Civil Justice Subcommittee voted to approve HB1005, a bill introduced by Rep. Rusty Grills that would “enhance and conceal handgun carry permits as enhanced and concealed firearm permits.” According to the state’s constitution, residents “have a right to keep and to bear arms for their common defense; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms to prevent crime.”