Media Advisory

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and warm as Winter Storm Fern continues to impact our state. The storm has proven deadly in some areas, so please continue to follow guidance from local officials and news outlets on how to stay safe.

As many businesses and school systems have closed for the beginning of the week, the 114th General Assembly is also delayed. That’s just one of the developments we’re tracking right now.

We also want to hear from you! Our one-minute communications survey closes at midnight tonight. Please share your feedback to help shape our updates, and we’ll send you a free bumper sticker as a thank you.

1-What We’re Tracking:  Winter Weather, the Capitol, and a Staff Update

Jennifer is an attorney and Tennessee native with years of experience in criminal defense and corporate law. Following her firsthand experience near The Covenant School on March 27, 2023, and driven by her commitment to community safety, she helped found our organization and has supported our policy work since the beginning. As Policy Advisor, she will now help lead our legislative strategy.

We will soon share an easy way to track bills, get legislative updates, and learn how you can take action in your community, so stay tuned.

2-What We’re Tracking: A Delivery to the State Legislature

Last week, a dedicated group of Safer TN volunteers visited the Cordell Hull Office Building to deliver our annual report and “welcome” cookies to Tennessee legislators and staff.

These professionals took time out of their workday to participate in this outreach. The goal was simple: to demonstrate that we want to work together on firearm safety. Safer TN’s values — collaborative, purpose-driven, and respectful — helped guide this approach.

You can read our 2025 annual report, which is now available on our website. It highlights what we accomplished together last year and outlines our priorities for the year ahead. We look forward to working with lawmakers on policies that reduce preventable firearm tragedies while respecting constitutional rights. We appreciate the legislators and staff who took the time to meet with our volunteers.

3-What We’re Tracking:  One year since the Antioch shooting

On Thursday, January 22, 2025, a troubled teenager gained access to an unsecured firearm and brought it into the Antioch High School cafeteria. After the gun wasn’t detected by the school’s weapons detection system, the student opened fire, killing his 16-year-old classmate, Josselin Corea Escalante, then turned the gun on himself. We later learned more about Josselin, and the violence she and her family had fled in their native Guatemala, only for her life to be taken while at school. Shortly thereafter, Safer TN helped organize a Valentine-making event to help bring a little light to those who were traumatized by this devastating event.

In the year since, details have emerged about the shooter and the firearm. But one news piece, reported by WSMV, points out that there has been a school-related firearm incident every month since the Antioch High School shooting. Nearly each of these incidents could have been prevented through secure storage. 

Secure storage — in a home or vehicle — is the easiest way to stop unauthorized access. It’s why we give away cable locks and gun safes: we want people to know there are secure storage options that keep unintended users safe, while also providing easy access for the firearm owner.

You can find resources about how to talk to others about secure storage on our website at this link. With these cold winter months and more people staying inside, these resources can help prevent tragic accidents.

4-What We’re Tracking: Tales from the Road From Coalition
Coordinator Nycole Gentry

Spending time in communities across East Tennessee has reminded me how personal conversations about firearms can be. I grew up in Mississippi, where my family hunted, so firearms were familiar to me.

When we show up to events to talk about firearm safety, people bring their own experiences, assumptions, and sometimes a sense of defensiveness with them.

At a recent event, a man approached our table unsure and guarded about what we were there to do. As we talked, I shared that Voices for a Safer Tennessee is a nonpartisan organization focused on education and preventing firearm tragedies, not politics or taking sides. Almost immediately, his posture changed. He shared that he appreciated knowing our work was not about labels or agendas, but about keeping families and communities safe.

Moments like this stay with me. They are reminders that this work begins with listening and meeting people where they are, and that these small, human interactions are why showing up in our communities is always worth it.

• Teen accidentally shoots himself in head showing off gun while live on social media, police say
• New Tennessee Legislation Aims To Create Sales Tax Holiday For Firearm Purchases & Expand Fee Waivers For Lifetime Enhanced Handgun Carry Permits
• Nearly 3 years on, therapy dogs provide comfort to survivors of Nashville school shooting
• One year after Antioch HS shooting, Nashville therapists offer advice – The Tennessean
• Tennessee lawmakers debate on sweeping gun reforms amid 114th General Assembly
• Teen charged with first-degree murder after shooting his brother over food, police say
• One year after Antioch HS shooting, Nashville therapists offer advice – The Tennessean
• With Safeguarding, Gun Owners Take Firearms Out of Their Own Hands

We hope you enjoyed the holidays and had time to rest and reset. The Safer TN team took a much-needed pause before hitting the ground running in the new year. Our first order of business is hearing from you! Please take our one-minute communications survey to help us deliver updates, news, and other information the way you want. As a thank-you, we’ll send you an optional free bumper sticker. Now – here’s what we’re tracking.

1-2025 Tennessee Child Fatality Report

The newly released 2025 Tennessee Child Fatality Report (reviewing 2023 data) presents a sobering reality. Tennessee’s child fatality rate is 39.1% higher than the national average, the largest gap our state has seen in five years. Even more heartbreaking is that local review teams deemed nearly 60% of these deaths as probably preventable. That figure is even higher when it comes to firearm-related deaths, of which 92.6% were considered preventable.

Key findings from the report:

• Firearms are the leading threat: According to the report, firearms remain the top non-medical cause of death for Tennessee children. Our state’s firearm-related death rate is 64.9% higher than the national average.
• Surge in homicides: Since 2019, the child homicide rate in Tennessee has skyrocketed by 91.7%. Shockingly, 89% of these homicides involved a firearm.
• Deepening disparities: The death rate for Black children in Tennessee is now more than double the rate for white children.

In response to these rising trends, the State Child Fatality Review Team has issued formal recommendations to guide prevention efforts. Notably, the State explicitly recommends that organizations and communities “actively promote and encourage participation in firearm safety initiatives like Voices for a Safer Tennessee.” 

As an official partner in the state’s strategy to reduce intentional violence, we are more committed than ever to our mission.

2-What We’re Tracking: Legislative Session Starts Soon, What To Expect

Tennessee’s 114th General Assembly convenes on January 12 at noon. Most of the bills we monitor won’t be heard until later in the session, so until then, we’ll keep sending The Tracker every other week. Once the General Assembly begins to take up firearm-related legislation, we’ll send The Tracker weekly, and we’ll also send special legislative update editions as important information develops. For real-time updates, follow our Instagram and Facebook stories.

3-What We’re Tracking: New Safer TN Interns and Staff

Cannon Jones, Kate Correnti, Alexis Cuban, Dabney Reed

Over the holiday break, we officially welcomed Safer TN’s first Director of Advancement and three new spring semester interns from Vanderbilt University. Together, they will help grow our impact, influence, and infrastructure across Tennessee.

Cannon Jones, Director of Advancement

As a Sandy Hook Elementary alumna, firearm safety is deeply personal to Cannon Jones and central to her work. With over a decade of nonprofit leadership experience, including leading a $25-million capital campaign, Cannon brings a strategic, relationship-driven approach to advancing Safer TN’s mission. She holds a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Vermont. With strong Tennessee family roots, she is proud to now call Nashville home.

Kate Correnti

Kate is studying Political Science and Human and Organizational Development. Originally from Nashville, she is excited to apply her academic interests to make a positive impact in her home community.

Alexis Cuban

Alexis is majoring in Human and Organizational Development with a minor in Business. Originally from Dallas, she has a strong interest in understanding how communities can reduce harm while navigating deeply rooted gun cultures. Her perspective is shaped by the loss of a family member and a friend to firearm tragedies, which informs her commitment to her work.

Dabney Reed

Dabney is studying Human and Organizational Development with a minor in Political Science. She is passionate about Voices for a Safer Tennessee’s mission and eager to contribute meaningfully to Nashville and the wider Tennessee community during her final year at Vanderbilt.

4-What We’re Tracking: Firearm Tragedies Over the Holidays

A personal perspective from Alexis Cuban, Safer TN intern

Firearm violence does not pause for holidays or milestones. This became devastatingly clear over the break.

A two-year-old was treated at Erlanger Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga after shooting himself with his father’s handgun. An 11-year-old girl in Knoxville also gained access to a firearm and unintentionally shot herself. She did not survive. In rural Middle Tennessee, a woman and three family members, including two children, were found dead in a firearm murder-suicide. 

Another victim was my friend Abubacarr “Buba” Darboe, who was killed while visiting his family during winter break. He was 22 years old and one semester away from graduating from Vanderbilt University.

His absence is felt by those who knew him in many different ways. I notice it in rooms where we once shared meals, and in the memory of him showing up at my door on my birthday with blue balloons. His fraternity brother described to me how Buba consistently made sure people felt included and taken care of, a reflection of his genuine and natural empathy.

Firearm tragedies are often framed with a defined radius of harm. In reality, each one sends ripples outward, reshaping families, campuses, and communities in lasting ways. Buba’s life and loss are a reminder that preventing firearm tragedies is about protecting futures and the everyday moments that bind people together.

5-What We’re Tracking: Erlanger Cable Lock Rollout, By Emily Holden, Southeast Tennessee Coalition Coordinator

Hi everyone! Emily Holden here, writing from Chattanooga.

I want to let you know Safer TN has partnered with Erlanger Children’s Hospital to begin distributing free firearm cable locks to the families of every newborn delivered at the Erlanger Baroness and Erlanger East hospital locations. In addition to the cable locks, free firearm safety materials will be distributed to include Tennessee-specific firearm statistics related to children with a clear firearm safety checklist.

Dr. Dave Bhattacharya, a pediatric surgeon at Erlanger and Safer TN board member, recently discussed the initiative in a local TV interview.

Launching in February 2026, this program will capitalize on the Chattanooga Early Learning Center’s backpack program, which creates a comprehensive, life-saving resource for families from day one.

Thank you for subscribing to and reading our newsletter in 2025. Our open rates for The Tracker continue to exceed the nonprofit average, and we’re grateful for your engagement and trust. As we look ahead, we want to make sure we’re delivering information that’s most useful to you. In the new year, keep an eye out for a short survey about The Tracker and the firearm safety information we share – we’d love your feedback. Until then, we wish you a safe, restful holiday season and a happy New Year. As we head into 2026, here’s a look at what we’re tracking, and what we’ve accomplished this year.

1-What We’re Tracking: Year in Review

WATCH: Safer TN’s Year in Review video from Giving Tuessday

2025 was an extraordinary year for our work. Together, we celebrated legislative progress, launched statewide billboard and radio campaigns focused on secure firearm storage, and expanded into two distinct organizational arms to strengthen our mission. We also grew by thousands of members and have raised millions of dollars since our founding – a testament to how deeply Tennesseans care about this work and its staying power.

You’ll be able to dive deeper into these milestones when our annual report is released in January. We also have exciting initiatives planned for 2026 that continue our focus on building safer communities, one step at a time. In the meantime, we invite you to watch our Year in Review video, which we made for Giving Tuesday, along with additional videos on our YouTube page that highlight our impact.

2-What We’re Tracking: Secure Firearm Storage During School Breaks 

As we head into a season when kids are out of school, routines shift, parents are often juggling more, and families spend more time visiting friends and relatives, the risk of accidental shootings rises. Research consistently shows that many unintentional firearm injuries involving children happen in familiar places – most often in homes – when a gun is unsecured and a moment of distraction is enough for tragedy to occur.

The good news is that these incidents are highly preventable. Secure firearm storage – keeping firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition – significantly reduces the risk of accidental injury, suicide, and theft. Just as important is having clear, respectful conversations with family members, caregivers, and other parents about whether firearms are present in the home and how they’re stored. Asking these questions can feel uncomfortable, but it’s a critical step in keeping kids safe.

Safer TN offers practical tools to help. On our website, you’ll find guidance on secure storage best practices, tips for starting storage conversations with other adults, and information on how to access free cable locks. Learn more and get the resources you need to protect your family and your community here.

3-What We’re Tracking: Why Treating Firearm Violence as a Public Health Issue Could Lead to Solutions

WATCH: Safer TN healthcare leaders on firearm injuries as a public health crisis.

In a recent Yale News interview, Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, makes the case for treating firearm injury as a public health issue rather than a purely political or criminal justice one. Drawing from her experience as an emergency physician, Ranney explains how preventable firearm injuries mirror other public health crises like car crashes or opioid overdoses.

A public health framework focuses on measuring the scope of the problem, identifying risk and protective factors, testing interventions, and scaling what works. This approach expands solutions beyond legislation alone to include secure storage, mental health supports, and community-based strategies. By centering health, data, and community collaboration, Ranney argues, we can reduce firearm injuries while finding common ground across political and cultural divides.

In case you missed it, two Safer TN healthcare leaders recently had a conversation about why firearm injuries are a public safety issue, and why our work is more important than ever.

4-What We’re Tracking: New Resource Helps Doctors Talk About Firearm Safety

The American Medical Association (AMA) has teamed up with the Ad Council and other health leaders to launch a new hub that gives physicians tools to counsel patients on firearm safety. The hub includes videos, fact sheets, conversation guides, and other resources to help doctors discuss the risks of unsecured firearms and best practices for reducing injuries and deaths.

The initiative is part of the AMA’s public health approach to firearm injury, recognizing that firearms are a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. Research shows that patients are more likely to adopt secure storage practices when their physicians bring up firearm safety — yet most adults (86%) report never having such a conversation. By equipping health professionals with evidence-based tools, the AMA hopes to normalize these lifesaving discussions as part of routine care, just like car seat or pool safety counseling.

5-What We’re Tracking: Tennessee’s Updated Violent Death Reporting System

The Tennessee Department of Health announced last week that it has updated its Violent Death Reporting System (TNVDRS) website with 2023 data.

December 2 is Giving Tuesday, and Safer TN is working to reach 500 donors in one day to support our education, advocacy, and outreach efforts across Tennessee. The first 100 donors will receive a Safer TN-branded AirTag keychain, and donors who give $500 or more will also receive a Safer TN YETI tumbler. Click here to donate early. 

In this Tracker, you’ll find what your donations make possible, including our new firearm safety resource page, an update on a road rage incident that turned violent, and more.

1-What We’re Tracking: One Example of What Your Donation Makes Possible

After losing her daughter, Evelyn, in The Covenant School shooting in 2023, Katy Dieckhaus found solace and purpose in Safer TN’s mission. She started as a volunteer, became a board member, and is now stepping into a new chapter of impact.

Katy has resigned from our Board of Directors and officially joined our staff as Community Engagement Coordinator. She will represent Safer TN at community events, support and grow our volunteer network, and help connect communities across Tennessee to our work. Katy’s journey is a powerful reminder of how love and loss can drive meaningful change.

Another staff change comes as Erin Rogus steps back from her role as Policy Director to serve as a Middle Tennessee Board Member. Erin has been instrumental in advancing our work at the Capitol over the past two years, but balancing her work with Safer TN, her full-time position with Advisory Board Member Sen. Bill Frist, and caring for three young children proved challenging. We’re grateful she will continue contributing in a volunteer capacity.

Safer TN is also continuing to expand our team, thanks to the generous support of Tennesseans committed to safer communities. We are seeking a Director of Advancement and a West Tennessee Coalition Coordinator. Know someone who might be a great fit? Share these opportunities and encourage them to apply!

2-What We’re Tracking: Road Rage Involving Firearms Persists in Our State

A Middle Tennessee driver was shot at on Interstate 24 in Rutherford County just two weeks ago. The suspect remains at large, and anyone with information or dash-cam footage is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office.

FOX17 reports that since last year, Rutherford County has seen 2,713 aggressive driving or road rage incidents. Any of these encounters can turn deadly when firearms are involved.

The shooting has renewed concern among local families, including Katy Dieckhaus. Two years before losing her daughter in The Covenant School shooting, Katy emailed state representatives after a road rage incident that a witness compared to the “Wild West.” She has shared excerpts below.

“After reading about the road rage shooting on Highway 24 and a witness comparing it to the ‘Wild West’, I have to write this tonight.

[Road rage shootings have] been in our news too frequently in the past few months. I want to continue to raise my sweet girls in this state. People are stressed, depressed, and angry about many things now more than ever. 

I do not know if you all have children, but do you really want to teach them to fight towards others this way? This is where we are heading and it breaks my heart. Please truly think about the safety of all.”

Katy Dieckhaus

Community Engagement Coordinator

3-What We’re Tracking: Secure Storage Saves Lives During Hunting Season

Deer hunting season opened on November 22, and as many families across Tennessee enjoy this tradition, it’s an important time to talk about secure firearm storage. Research shows that access to unsecured firearms increases the risk of injury and suicide among children and teens.

Tennessee ranks third in the nation for unintentional shootings by children, and a state report released earlier this year shows that firearm suicides have surged among youth.

Safer TN has a new resource page dedicated to firearm safety, including how to have conversations with your children and other adults, how to securely store your firearm, and other safety resources that can help reduce the risk of accidents, unauthorized access, and tragedy.

4-What We’re Tracking: Update: DOJ Weighs In on Supreme Court Firearm Case

The Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to strike down a Hawaii law that bans firearms on private property open to the public without the owner’s permission (Wolford v. Lopez). 

The DOJ brief argues that the law unlawfully blocks people with concealed-carry permits from carrying firearms onto most private property of this kind.

A decision in this case could reshape laws beyond Hawaii. Tennessee, however, already leaves the decision to property owners, and past efforts to limit their authority have failed, so this ruling is unlikely to change state law.

5-What We’re Tracking: Justice System Gap Leaves Domestic Violence Victims Vulnerable

A new investigation by ProPublica and WPLN reveals a potentially deadly flaw in Tennessee’s probation system that puts domestic violence victims at risk. The reporting centers on the killing of a young mother who repeatedly begged for help while her ex-boyfriend, who was legally barred from having a firearm and under probation supervision, remained free.

The investigation found that when a probation violation warrant is issued in Tennessee, in-person supervision stops until the person is arrested, creating a dangerous gap that can last for months. At least six mothers were killed during this lapse in oversight. More broadly, reporters found that about one in four domestic violence homicide victims in Tennessee’s largest cities were killed by someone who was legally prohibited from having a firearm.

Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham spoke at Woodmont Christian Church last week in an event co-hosted by Voices for a Safer Tennessee (Safer TN). During the discussion, Meacham suggested that firm beliefs about firearms are often rooted in understandable concerns about safety and whether our country is providing stability — concerns that may be heightened for young people who have lived through years of school shooting drills. Research shows these drills increase anxiety and depression. Yet Meacham sees hope, as do we. Reasonable safety measures that balance constitutional rights with responsible gun ownership can save lives … and drive our work.

1-What We’re Tracking:  When ‘children practice being shot’ in school and church

Nearly 550 people tuned into a conversation with Pulitzer Prize–winning author and native Tennessean Jon Meacham last Wednesday night. Hosted by Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville and its Senior Pastor, Dr. Clay Stauffer, the event focused on the rise of political violence in America and how people of faith can respond to extremism, mass shootings, and the growing threat of violence in public life.

“We have two or three generations of children who have been told they need to practice being shot at in their classrooms or in their church,” said Meacham. “What do we say to [these generations] about trusting us?” He noted that while previous generations who faced the threat of attack, like nuclear war, ultimately emerged from that darkness while today’s youth have not and may never.

Meacham also highlighted the work of Safer TN and Woodmont Christian Church in fostering common ground and safety.

“If a safety measure like the ones [Safer TN] advocates can save a single life, a single one, it seems to me the Bible tells us something about the single lost sheep and the Prodigal Son,” Meacham said. “It matters.”

You can watch the full recording here. Clips from the talk will also be available on our social media.

2-What We’re Tracking: Family members can now ask judges to temporarily transfer a firearm in Maine

Maine, long a Second Amendment–friendly state, has adopted a new law that allows family and household members to petition a court, with due process, to limit access to firearms for someone who poses a danger to themselves or others.

Voters approved the law two years after the state’s deadliest mass shooting. It builds on Maine’s current law, which allows only law enforcement to initiate a temporary firearm restriction. That process requires protective custody and a mental health evaluation before a judge can act, while the new law offers a more immediate option for urgent threats. How the two laws will work together remains to be seen, but they may serve different needs depending on the situation.

Nearly half of U.S. states have similar laws, which research shows have reduced firearm deaths in at least Florida, Indiana, and Connecticut. Safer TN supports pursuing a Tennessee version that protects constitutional rights while saving lives.

3-What We’re Tracking:  Glock redesigns its guns

Glock, the country’s most popular handgun maker, announced it will discontinue most of its current pistol models. The models have been banned by California, and the company has been the target of lawsuits because they can be easily converted into automatic firearms using a device called a Glock switch.

The move is widely seen as a response to mounting lawsuits and new state laws banning certain Glock models. As you may recall, Safer TN successfully advocated for a state ban on Glock switches during the 2025 legislative session.

4-What We’re Tracking: The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment

The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up two major gun cases this term. While one case won’t likely affect Tennessee, the other could.

According to Jennifer Hellmer, an attorney and founding member of Safer TN, the first case, Wolford v. Lopez, challenges whether states can ban firearms on private property that is open to the public unless owners give explicit permission. Tennessee already leaves that decision to property owners, and past efforts to limit their ability to prohibit firearms have failed, so this ruling is unlikely to change state law.

The second case, United States v. Hemani, could have implications in Tennessee. Under federal law, gun possession is banned for people addicted to or using illegal drugs, but Tennessee’s state law is narrower: the state prohibits handgun possession when someone is actively under the influence. If the Supreme Court narrows the federal standard, it could possibly allow possession by people who, while not intoxicated at the moment, are struggling with substance use disorder — a group more at risk for firearm injury and death.

The Court’s decisions are expected by July.

5-What We’re Tracking: Reducing firearm tragedies in the next 15 years

In March 2025, the Journal of the American Medical Association Summit brought together experts in medicine, public health, law, and community violence intervention to develop a roadmap for reducing firearm violence by 2040. The recently published report highlights evidence-based strategies to reduce firearm tragedies.  

Some of these strategies could be applied in Tennessee today, such as promoting secure firearm storage through education and affordable options, and establishing a temporary firearm transfer process that ensures due process for individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others. The report also recommends community violence intervention programs, environmental improvements like better street lighting, and increasing police resources.