The Safe Tennessee Youth Advocacy Board (YAB) will host a Student Town Hall on April 20th, the 19 year anniversary of the Columbine shooting.  Many schools across the nation and several in Nashville will participate in a walkout that day, as well.

All Davidson County legislators have been invited as have all students in Davidson County.  The event will take place in the Cordell Hull Building, 425 5th Avenue North, at 4pm.  Space is limited so students are asked to RSVP.  Questions must be submitted in advance so that moderators can make sure that questions are coming from a variety of schools and cover a variety of firearm-related topics.  The YAB’s goal is make certain that students from all parts of Nashville are given a chance to speak.

Legislators who have been invited to participate:

Rep. Bill Beck, Rep. John Ray Clemmons, Rep. Brenda Gilmore, Rep. Beth Harwell, Rep. Darren Jernigan, Rep. Harold Love, Rep. Bo Mitchell, Rep. Jason Powell, Rep. Mike Stewart, Sen. Steve Dickerson, Sen. Jeff Yarbro, and Sen. Ferrell Haille

RSVP HERE
SUBMIT QUESTION HERE

Some facts about gun violence in Tennessee:

Gun violence in our state is on the rise. Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville have all broken decades-long homicide records over the last few years.  

In Nashville alone, homicides have risen 160% over the last four years. Memphis has a higher rate of gun violence than Chicago.

Since a law was passed to allow gun owners to store guns in their cars, gun thefts from vehicles have gone up dramatically in Memphis.  There were 356 guns stolen out of cars the year before the law was passed. In 2017, there were 1,200 guns stolen out of cars.

Tennessee is fourth in the nation for women murdered by men. The majority are killed with firearms, and in almost every case, they are killed by a man they know.

Last year, Tennessee led the entire nation in the number of children under the age of 18 shot with an irresponsibly stored firearm. 

In both 2016 and 2017, the legislature chose not to pass legislation that would hold adults responsible if their choice to leave a loaded gun accessible to a child led to injury or death.

States with stronger gun laws have fewer gun deaths.  Tennessee gun laws are considered to be very weak, earning a grade of D- or F.  Per the CDC, we are 13th in the nation in gun death.

Tennessee. Over 600 people use a gun to take their own life every year in Tennessee.  Everyday in our state, a man over 45 kills himself with a gun. Suicides in young people age 10-24 are also on the rise.

Last year, there were 15 mass shootings (3+ people shot in a single incident) in Tennessee.  None took place in a location where guns were prohibited. Like the vast majority of American mass shootings, they happen in very mundane places – homes, parties, streets, and parking lots.

In the last year, hundreds of guns have been stolen from gun stores and pawn shops.  Those guns are then sold on the streets or trafficked to other communities. Tennessee does not require gun sellers to take any measures to prevent theft.  Even individual gun owners are not required to report stolen or lost guns.

 

Downloadable, printable flyer can be found here.