On October 3, 2015, 8-year-old MaKayla Dyer and her sister were playing with their new puppy outside their mobile home when their 11-year-old neighbor called to them from inside his home, asking if he could play with the puppy. MaKayla refused, so the 11-year-old boy retrieved his father’s loaded shotgun, aimed it out the window and fired. MaKayla was struck
Read moreSafe Tennessee will be primarily focused on four legislative proposals in 2019. Strengthening firearm dispossessionTennessee is consistently in the top ten states for women murdered by men. Tennessee is also one of thirteen states that allow people prohibited from possessing guns to transfer them to a third party. However, our state’s third party dispossession laws are by far the weakest.
Read moreYesterday it was brought to our attention that these National Rifle Association flyers were being sent home with children in the Franklin Special Schools District. The flyer touts the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program that focuses on teaching kids what to do if they encounter a firearm. Rather than emphasize to adults the importance of responsible gun storage, the program puts
Read moreOn Friday August 4th in Stewart County, a 5-year-old girl was unintentionally shot by an adult family member who was either cleaning a firearm or clearing the chamber when the gun fired, striking the child in the shoulder. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. So far, no charges have been filed. https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/stewart-houston/news/2018/08/08/stewart-county-5-year-old-girl-dies-accidental-shooting/939576002/ And yesterday in LaFollette, a 10-year-old
Read moreTennessee’s problem with kids and negligently-stored firearms is not getting any better. In fact, it’s getting worse. Our state led the entire nation for these shootings last year. According to data from the Children’s Firearm Safety Alliance (CFSA), an organization that tracks unintentional shootings involving children and unsecured firearms, in 2017, Tennessee led the entire nation in the number of
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