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Tennessee Senate Democrats: Fatal shootings increased as Republicans abolished gun-safety laws

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Sylvia Peoples Fuller puts a picture of her son Percy Allen, IV, who died of gun violence, on the steps during the Wear Orange event held by the Chattanooga chapter of Moms Demand Action in Miller Park on June 4. The event was held to honor the lives of those lost to gun violence.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Sylvia Peoples Fuller puts a picture of her son Percy Allen, IV, who died of gun violence, on the steps during the Wear Orange event held by the Chattanooga chapter of Moms Demand Action in Miller Park on June 4. The event was held to honor the lives of those lost to gun violence. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Sylvia Peoples Fuller puts a picture of her son Percy Allen, IV, who died of gun violence, on the steps during the Wear Orange event held by the Chattanooga chapter of Moms Demand Action in Miller Park on June 4. The event was held to honor the lives of those lost to gun violence.

By Andy Sher 6 min read


NASHVILLE — Tennessee Senate Democrats have gone on the offensive in the lead-up to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s Aug. 21 special session on public safety and firearms.

They say a “surge” in gun violence began in the state about the time GOP lawmakers won control of both the Senate and House in 2010.

“After a decade of Republicans eliminating gun safety laws, shootings are now the leading cause of death for children in Tennessee, and innocent people are dying every day,” Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman London Lamar of Memphis said in a release over the weekend. “Ending gun violence has always been one of my top priorities, and I will keep fighting for gun safety until we finally restore some sanity to our laws.”

Lamar cited a study released in June by the nonpartisan Sycamore Institute. Among other things, it found gunfire was the leading cause of death for Tennessee children ages 1 to 18 in 2021.