haunted school tennessee

Nashville mayor orders investigation after Covenant School shooter’s writings were posted online

The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, called Monday for an investigation after images purported to be the writings of a shooter who killed six people at The Covenant School in March were posted online.

The three images of writings, which were posted Monday by a conservative podcast and YouTube show host, are said to be from the shooter. NBC News has not confirmed whether the documents are authentic. 

Audrey Hale, 28, was killed by police after having opened fire on March 27 at the private Christian school, which Hale had once attended.

The shooter killed three children and three adults.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said he directed Metro Nashville Law Director Wally Dietz “to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released.”

“I am deeply concerned with the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving,” O’Connell said in a statement.

Podcast host Steven Crowder posted the images online Monday. The writings in the images appear to have language about carrying out a shooting at a school and a date.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said the three images “are not MNPD crime scene images.” A spokesman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the agency was aware of the images but cannot speak to their authenticity.

The three children killed in the attack were 9-year-old students, and the adults who were killed were a custodian, a substitute teacher and the head of school.

A group of parents whose children were at The Covenant School during the attacks have filed a motion seeking to keep the writings secret .

On Monday, a spokesman for those parents called whoever posted them "a viper" and said the person "released evidence that was gathered in our most vulnerable moment."

"You have now allowed [the shooter], who terrorized our family with bullets, to be able to now terrorize us with words from the grave," said the spokesperson, Brent Leatherwood, whose three children were at the school and survived.

Officials have not made the writings public, and the release of any writings is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.

In their motion seeking to keep the writings secret, the parents argued that no good can come from the release and that they do not wish for them to be me publicized. They called them “the dangerous and harmful writings of a mentally-damaged person.”

Tennessee House Republicans, however, have called for them to be released, arguing it is necessary to understand the shooter's motivations in order to prevent future violence.

David Raybin, an attorney for Hale's parents, said he could not speak about the writings that were shared, citing the legal proceedings.

"We've never seen any manifesto," he said. "Nor are we in a position to authenticate these pieces of paper."

Police have said Hale planned extensively for the shooting, and investigators found drawn maps of the school with surveillance and entry points.

The shooter was armed with what police have described as two assault-style rifles and a handgun.

Leatherwood said the release of the images had little value and that the world already knew that Hale was deeply disturbed but that the release caused harm to him and other parents and children.

"To the online shock jock who aired these images, I would challenge him and anyone who amplifies them online: Just be a human, for once,” Leatherwood said.

Crowder’s show did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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The Haunted Flintville School in Flintville, Tennessee

A haunted location: Flintville School in Flintville, Tennessee.

Details: the Flintville light has seemed to cause many distractions.

an old man carrying an lantern across Flintville elementary school where the old railroad tracks used to be.

Written by: Jane Louis

Published on: June 21, 2023

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Do You Know The Haunted History Of The Flintville School?

It has been rumoured that the Flintville School in Flintville, Tennessee is a haunted location. We’ll explain why people think this below. Do you think the rumors are true?

Why Is The Flintville School Haunted?

the Flintville light has seemed to cause many distractions.

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Haunted Places In Tennessee

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DISCLAIMER: We don’t advocate that anyone goes here, this post is for informational purposes only.

Meet Jane Louis, the lead content creator at Scary HQ, a haunted places blog that delves into the eerie and unexplained. Jane is a true crime enthusiast and an avid lover of all things spooky. She has a keen interest in the macabre and an unquenchable thirst for uncovering the secrets of the haunted world around us. But don't let her dark interests fool you, Jane is a sweet and empathetic individual with a heart of gold. She's a natural storyteller, who uses her platform to share her passion for true crime and the paranormal with her audience. In her free time, Jane can be found exploring abandoned buildings, investigating local ghost stories and watching her favorite horror movies. She's also a member of a ghost hunting group and has a particular interest in researching the history and folklore of haunted places. Her love for the eerie and unknown is matched only by her love for her audience, and she pours her heart and soul into every post on Scary HQ. Join Jane on her journey as she uncovers the secrets of the haunted world around us and shares with you the stories that will make your hair stand on end.

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Southern Ghost Stories

Tennessee Ghost Stories: The Old Jamestown Schoolhouse

Tucked away in Fentress County in northeast Tennessee, you will find the sleepy little town of Jamestown, Tennessee. Like other small towns around the Volunteer State, Jamestown is said to be home to a dark secret that still haunts an old schoolhouse. In the early 20th century a student at Pine Haven finished his classes and decided to use the restroom before walking home. As he was wrapping up and washing his hands, an older boy who was considered to be the school bully snuck up behind him and playfully shoved him into the mirror. Unfortunately for the younger boy, he banged his head on the glass then lost his balance on the slippery floor before crashing headfirst into the sink.

As the child lay lifeless on the floor with blood pouring out of his head, the bully panicked and used his pocket knife to pull up boards in the floor. He then quickly rolled the body into the ground and reattached the flooring.

This is where it gets interesting. It’s been said the child was dead as soon as he hit the floor. But, some say the boy died from exposure after being trapped under the building all night.

It’s also disputed when or if the young boy’s remains were discovered. It’s said that his remains were discovered a few days later after the teacher began to notice the smell of decaying flesh from down the hall. Others say his body is still down there. The only thing that is known for sure is that the little boy is said to still haunt the old abandoned schoolhouse. According to local lore, if you go into the bathroom and look in the mirror, you will see the spirit of the boy standing behind you.

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The 19 Most Haunted Places in Tennessee

Last Updated: Dec 16, 2021 @ 6:08 am

When most people think about the great state of Tennessee, the first thing that tends to come to mind is music and with good reason. However, that is certainly not all that the state is known for, it is also somewhere that is home to some of the most terrifying haunted locations in America.

Let’s get up close and personal with some of the most haunted places in Tennessee:

1. Greenwood Cemetery, Chattanooga

Cemeteries are common places that have ghostly sightings and other paranormal activity. The Greenwood Cemetery in Chattanooga is no different.

The ghost that is most often seen around the Greenwood Cemetery was once a wealthy woman who lived across the lake with her husband. After becoming wheelchair-bound because of health issues her husband decided to cheat on her and eventually killed her.

People say that it is possible to see the tracks from a wheelchair on the cemetery grounds. Furthermore, people who claim to have seen the woman say she is not in human form but is more of a green mist.

Conflicting reports say they have seen the woman wandering near the lake and she appears to be a shade of green.

2. Sensabaugh Tunnel, Kingsport

People living in Kingsport have heard the stories about one of the most haunted locations in East Tennessee, the Sensabaugh Tunnel. Any place that has been around since the 1920s and is apparently the sight of a mass murder is sure to be the sight of paranormal activity.

Paranormal investigators travel to the Sensabaugh Tunnel in the hopes of acquiring an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). They also hope they might be fortunate enough to capture one of the ghosts that hang around the tunnel with their cameras.

It is not uncommon to hear the crying of a baby in the tunnel or seeing orbs in and around it.

Many visitors to the area say they have heard what they assume to be the murdered family members of Mr. Sensabaugh, the namesake of the tunnel.

3. Gwendolyn’s House, Elizabethton

People looking for haunted places in Elizabethton need to check out Gwendolyn’s House. The home has been around since the early 1900s. One of the overall opinions of the property is that it is incredibly scary to visit.

People have witnessed what appears to be the ghost of a black dog running around the house in both the basement and the hallways.

Other sightings include a woman in white who likes to stand in or near the windows of the house.

Ghost hunters that have been to Gwendolyn’s House also say that when people enter the home a ghost or entity that is angry screams at them.

Who the entity is and why they are so aggressive is not known.

4. Wheatland Plantation, Sevierville

Ghost hunters who travel to the Wheatland Plantation in Sevierville Tennessee are in for a real treat.

The location is one of the most haunted plantations in the country , courtesy of its horrible history that is filled with murders and deaths numbering over seventy.

The location was the location of battles fought during the Civil and Revolutionary wars. If that is not enough there are also nearly 70 graves for African Slaves, a mass grave for roughly 28 Cherokee Indians, and a couple of soldiers from the Revolutionary War.

Some of the ghosts that wander around the property are from the Chandler family who once called the plantation home. Investigators have captured what sounds like Native Americans chanting when doing a spirit box session.

In the basement of the plantation, some people have sensed that children were present. Another investigator reported that she had a difficult time breathing while in the basement and began crying uncontrollably for no apparent reason.

Because of all of the death around the entirety of the plantation people have sensed or seen ghostly figures all over the property.

5. Bethesda Church & Cemetery, Morristown

In Morristown, the Bethesda Church and Cemetery is said to have an incredible amount of restless spirits wandering around. The ghosts that people have seen in and around the church are mainly confederate soldiers that perished many years ago.

One witness who was passing the cemetery and church on his way home in the wee hours of the night saw what appeared to be a Confederate soldier. He was apparently swinging an old-fashioned lantern.

Another witness stated he saw two Confederate soldiers standing outside the church carrying on a conversation. When they appeared to spot the witness they continued talking and walked around the corner of the church disappearing out of sight.

There is also the ghost of a woman who appears to be crying on one side of the far side of the cemetery. If you are there at night there is a good chance you can hear her crying.

6. Bijou Theater, Knoxville

Old theaters are frequently on lists of haunted places to visit and this list is no different. When visiting Knoxville many people like to make their way to the historic and glamorous Bijou Theater.

The structure is in remarkable condition and is a favorite spot for people looking for entertainment. Along with the entertainment people visiting the Bijou may also encounter a ghost or two.

The only ghost that has been identified is Colonel William Sanders. He passed away in the bridal suite of the theater.

Other ghosts that haunt the theater include soldiers who perished in the theater when it served as a hospital. The halls are also home to a rather angry ghost.

7. Rotherwood Mansion, Kingsport

The Rotherwood Mansion is definitely one of the haunted houses in East Tennessee that ghost hunters enjoy visiting. The home is almost 200 years old and has an incredibly tragic history.

The home was built by Reverend Frederick Ross. The beautiful home would prove to be a location of tragedy and despair for his daughter Rowena. She lost her first love on the day of her wedding prior to the ceremony.

She went on to lose another love and eventually her daughter perished. Unable to live Rowena killed herself by drowning in the lake in which her first fiancé perished.

After so much tragedy Rowena’s spirit is still present at the Rotherwood Mansion. People have seen her wandering around the property in a long flowing white dress.

People have also heard unnerving laughter after sundown, seen creepy eyes in the windows and even witnessed a large black dog, which is a ghost, roaming the property and howling.

It is believed, after the home changed hands it became the property of a slave owner, the laughter and other unusual activity is from the ghosts of some of the former slaves.

8. The Delta Queen, Chattanooga

The Delta Queen was once an impressive vessel that carried people around the Tennessee waterways and more. Today the Delta Queen is a hotel docked in Chattanooga.

People can come and see the impressive Delta Queen, stay the night and enjoy a fabulous time. Some of the guests that visit the Delta Queen also get the opportunity to encounter shadows in some of the bedrooms.

Some people find their attempts to enjoy the Delta Queen’s bar prevented courtesy of the ghost of Mary B. Greene who still lives on the ship.

9. Lakeshore Asylum, Knoxville

Back in 1886 Tennessee needed a mental institution so they opened the East Tennessee Hospital for the Insane. Years later it was renamed the Lakeshore Asylum.

People who have gone to the Lakeshore Asylum to investigate state there is a lot of ghostly activity through the building.

Ghost hunters and other people who have found themselves within the confines of the old structure have heard screams of what can only be former patients echoing around the halls.

Strange looking figures have also been spotted around the building.

10. The Historic Read House Hotel, Chattanooga STAY HERE

The Sheraton Reed House Hotel is one of the haunted hotels in Tennessee that has verified ghosts haunting the building. The hotel has served and an elegant place to stay for people since the late 1800s.

It has also been home to deaths by natural causes as well as murders and suicides. The ghost of Annalisa Netherly is believed to haunt Room 311, the location where her husband murdered her upon finding out she was having an affair.

Outside of Room 311 things get moved around in rooms, people see shadows in mirrors some people have even claimed to see what appears to be someone reclining on the bed when no one is there.

Some guests of the hotel and former employees state there is also the ghost of a man and a woman who may have been a prostitute haunting the hotel to this day.

Some say the man’s ghost hangs around because he was either murdered or committed suicide while on the premises.

11. Carnton Plantation, Franklin

Carnton Plantation has the unusual feature of having a front porch that overlooks a graveyard where approximately 1700  Confederate troops were buried in the wake of a bloody battle nearby.

Shortly after the mass burial, the mansion was transformed into a hospital. There were four Generals who died inside and the staff held on to their bodies so that survivors would later be able to pay their respects.

All of this explains why so many witnesses have seen the ghosts of confederate soldiers roaming around the mansion and its grounds. However, these are not the only spirits said to haunt the Carnton Mansion.

It has also been suggested that the spirits of the Carnton children are also haunting their former home since only two of the five children survived to adulthood.

All of this is more than enough to secure Carnton Mansion as one of the most haunted houses in Tennessee, but there are yet more restless spirits here!

Among the other spirits spotted in the mansion are a young girl who was murdered by a jealous suitor, the family cook who is struggling to let go of her duties to the family and a beautiful woman with long dark hair.

12. Resthaven Memorial Gardens, Clarksville

If ever there was a location that fails to live up to its name, then surely it has to be RestHaven Memorial Gardens. There is not much restful about a place that is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in Tennessee.

Nearby, you will find a house in which a brutal slave owner once resided. It is rumoured that one of the slaves raped his daughter and got her pregnant. The owner killed the slave in a fit of rage.

The slave’s ghost is often seen wandering the grounds and the memorial gardens in search of  his lost child.

This has led to speculation that he did not rape the girl, but that the pair had fallen in love – something the slave owner was unwilling to accept as a possibility.

13. Wheatlands Plantation, Sevierville

Wheatlands Plantation has a long history that is marred by murder, death and destruction. It is absolutely no surprise to those who know this history that the house has been named one of the most haunted houses in Tennessee!

This is not the first house to stand here, the original actually burned to the ground in 1825 claiming the lives of 4 children. This probably explains why there are so many reports of a child like spirit in the basement of the new building.

There is also a mass grave on the property which is said to hold the remains of 28 Cherokee Indians, 2 Revolutionary War soldiers and almost 70 African Slaves.

There have also been more than 70 known murders on this property and some of the walls are still stained with blood. It is no wonder this place is infested with spirits.

14. Rotherwood Mansion, Kingsport

It was built in 1818 by a wealthy reverend named Frederick Ross. He intended the home to be a sanctuary, but instead it became a place of despair.

Ross’ daughter Rowena had to watch helplessly as her husband to be drowned in the nearby river on their wedding day.

She became somewhat reclusive and seldom left the house. At last she was ready to open her heart again, but this time her lover died of yellow fever within the first year of their marriage.

Ten years later she tried a third time to find love and even gave birth to a daughter of her own.

However, once again she was left devastated when the girl died. Rowena could take it no longer and drowned herself in that same river her first love had. Could it be that she was cursed? Is that why she still roams the property always looking for true love?

Later, the mansion was purchased by a cruel slave owner who is said to have tortured his slaves. Did his evil deeds contribute to the hauntings here?

Many have said that he is to blame for a menacing presence that takes the form of a black dog. There have also been reports of maniacal laughter and of terrifying faces peering in the windows at night!

15. Pegram Family Cemetery, Pegram

In 1970, a group of developers bulldozed an area along the Harpeth River while working on a housing development. However, in the process they tragically destroyed the Pegram Family Cemetery.

The dirt from the land was sold as fill dirt across two counties. Five years later, the river waters rose and all of the homes built on the land that was once the cemetery were flooded.

During the flood, some coffins that had not been relocated floated to the surface. One in particular belonged to the town’s very first postmistress – Carrie Pegram Heath.

Since then the town has had nothing but bad luck. It floods with some regularity and the seemingly cursed land has had no end of financial hardships.

There is an overall feeling of unrest and malice lingering in the air and some of the homeowners have claimed to see tombstones appearing and disappearing in their gardens.

16. Orpheum Theatre, Memphis

The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis is said to be haunted by the spirit of a little girl named Mary who died in some kind of accident on a nearby street.

She has been hanging around in the theatre for about sixty years now even although the original building burned down in 1923 and reopened in 1928.

She is often seen in her favourite seat – C5 and sometimes she is heard giggling while running up and down the aisles.

17. Tennessee State Prison, Nashville

Tennessee State Prison was built in 1898 and over the years that it was in operation it gained notoriety thanks to several attempted break outs, riots and overcrowding.

It also became famous when it was used during the filming of both ‘The Green Mile and ‘Ernest Goes to Jail’. Today it lies abandoned, but it is certainly not unoccupied!

There are frequent reports of cell doors closing by themselves, cold spots, phantom footsteps and even boot prints in the dust where no living person has walked!

18. Bell Witch Cave, Adams

One of the most famous ghost stories from Tennessee has got to be the tale of the Bell Witch. Even those who are not particularly interested in the paranormal know this story!

The Bell Witch was said to have murdered John Bell and also tormented his entire family with poltergeist style activity for several years. At one point, the terror was so intense that President Andrew Jackson refused to stay in the Bell house overnight!

This malicious spirit is said to be an extremely wicked woman named Kate Batts. She was malevolent in her life and even more so in death as evidenced by her murderous ghost. She is still said to haunt the cave next to John Bell’s farm…

Some of the most commonly reported activity includes sightings of strange looking animals, rattling chains and unexplained knocking.

19. Hales Bar Marina & Dam, Guild

Hales Bar Marina & Dam was built along the Tennessee river in 1905 in order to tame the natural whirlpool.

The local Native American tribes were not happy with its construction and were said to have put a curse on the dam. Could this be why the structure is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Tennessee?

Visitors, staff and paranormal groups have all reported a variety of paranormal activity which includes Native American war cries, chanting, dark figures and even the apparition of a little girl in a pink dress who is said to have drowned here.

It is said that her remains are still trapped in the dam which would explain why she has been unable to rest.

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