Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Tuesday called on federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the shooting at a christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, as a religious hate crime.
He delivered a fiery speech to the full Senate in which he tagged it as such and further demanded that liberal groups condemn rhetoric against people of faith who he says contributed to the shooting.
“This was a hate crime against Christian children and teachers. There is no defense. All activist groups should condemn this hate crime and all the hateful rhetoric that contributed to it,” Hawley wrote in a follow-up tweet.
However, federal investigators have yet to determine the shooter’s motive. A source familiar with the investigation also told HuffPost that there is no evidence that anyone at the school was targeted because of his religion.
“We have no evidence to prove that any specific religion motivated the shooter’s actions. This is evident based on the fact that other places that did not have religious ties were being considered,” the source said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers Tuesday that federal investigators are still working to determine the shooter’s motive.
“Of course, the motive is what determines whether it’s a hate crime or not,” Garland said at a Senate appropriations hearing.
When asked to respond to Hawley’s claim that Christians were specifically targeted in the shooting, the president Joe Bidenwho has been receiving updates on the investigation, saying“I have no idea.”
Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the 28-year-old deceased shooter, was a former student at the school who was also under a doctor’s care for an “emotional disturbance,” Nashville police revealed Tuesday. Police saying they believed Hale was transgender but are still investigating whether he played a role in the shooting.
Hale left behind a map of the school showing entry points and what police described as a “manifesto.” indicating that Hale may have planned to carry out shootings at other locations.
“Hale’s recovered writings revealed that his attack was calculated and planned,” police said. saying in a statement on Tuesday.
Three children and three adults were killed after Hale opened fire at the private Christian school. Hale was killed at the scene by police.