The transgender shooter who killed six at a Christian school confessed homicidal urges to Vanderbilt University Medical Center staff, but they reportedly did not act to prevent the tragedy, according to a new report.
The Tennessee Star obtained a file titled “Vandy Psych,” which includes notes from a police officer who reviewed the shooter’s psychiatric records. The shooter had received mental health treatment at Vanderbilt for 22 years, expressing homicidal thoughts, including plans to attack a school.
Tennessee State Code 33-3-206 mandates mental health professionals to warn potential victims if a patient makes a credible threat. The specificity of the shooter’s threats is unclear, but a source indicated that Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake believed a violation of this code occurred.
At the time, the statute did not impose criminal penalties, but victims could sue healthcare providers. Tennessee has since tightened the law, requiring mental health personnel to notify police of threats.
Chief Drake promised to release the shooter’s manifesto but later withheld it due to FBI pressure, according to an FBI memo obtained by The Star. Officials stated the shooter was not politically motivated, and the FBI did not classify the incident as domestic terrorism.
Parts of the manifesto suggest that the shooter was driven by grievances related to transgenderism and Republican laws, even expressing a willingness to kill for puberty blockers.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has faced scrutiny over its transgender treatments. VUMC’s Dr. Shayne Sebold Taylor discussed the financial benefits of “female-to-male bottom surgeries.” Tennessee lawmakers subsequently banned sex-change treatments for minors, but federal judge Eli Richardson temporarily halted the enforcement. However, an appeals court later overturned Richardson’s ruling.
John Howser, a VUMC spokesman, stated that HIPAA and state privacy laws prevent confirming or denying individual patient care. He also emphasized that VUMC complies with state laws prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors.
In 2023, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti investigated potential medical billing fraud related to transgender treatments at VUMC.
