A Twitter account by the name of Trans Resistance Network referred to the death of the Nashville, Tennessee shooter a “tragedy.”
The account is currently locked as of Tuesday afternoon.
“The Trans Resistance Network has been notified the shooter involved in today’s church school shooting in Nashville, TN was a person identifying as transgender,” wrote the Trans Resistence Network in a media statement. “While it is not our policy to engage publicly with news media, we believe this moment calls for a thoughtful response from our collective.”
The media statement suggested Monday’s shooting was not only a tragedy for the six victims killed but a tragedy for the shooter who was killed by police officers after arriving on scene.
“We extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers to those families dealing with the loss of loved ones,” the account wrote of the victims. “The second and more complex tragedy is that Aidan or Aubrey Hale, who felt he had no other effective way to be seen than to lash out by taking the life of others, and by consequence, himself.”
The 'Trans Resistance Network' has released a statement that Audrey Hale is the real victim in the Christian school shooting pic.twitter.com/qNrsTpiM8B
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) March 28, 2023
“Life for transgender people is very difficult, and made more difficult in the preceding months by a virtual avalanche of anti-trans legislation, and public callouts by Right Wing personalities and political figures for nothing less than the genocidal eradication of trans people from society.”
The media release repeated transgender activist talking points citing anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, and PTSD experienced by transgender-identifying people.
“Hate has consequences,” the statement continued. “We will not be eradicated or erased.”
The Trans Resistance Network urged news outlets to “respect the self-identified pronouns of transgender individuals,” noting the shooter, who was a biological female identifying as a transgender male, used he/him pronouns.
“We also urge you to avoid pandering to those individuals on the Right who will use this double-tragedy to torment fear and terror of transgender people in order to advance a political agenda of transgender elimination,” the statement concluded. “Biased and sensationalized coverage of these viewpoints is both irresponsible and reprehensible.”
The account declined interviews, noting those requesting comment would be referred to the media statement.
During a press conference Monday evening, Nashville police chief John Drake revealed the identity of the shooter and confirmed the shooter was a transgender-identifying person.
The Nashville police chief also revealed the shooter had writings and may have been targeting another location though decided against that location citing “too much security.”
“We have a manifesto. We have some writings that we’re going over, ” Drake said when one reporter asked if the shooter had a motive. “We have a map drawn out of how this was all gonna take place.”
Drake further detailed that two “AR-style” weapons — a rifle and a pistol — and a handgun were in the shooter’s possession. Drake said authorities believe two of the three weapons were legally purchased at a local shop.
“The police department response was swift,” a police official said at a press conference outside the school. “Officers entered the first story of the school and began clearing it. They heard shots coming from the second level and they went toward the gunfire. When the officers got to the second level, they saw a shooter, a female, who was firing. The officers engaged her. She was fatally shot by responding police officers.”
