Safer TN Tracker

Once again, a Tennessee child has died in an accidental shooting after finding a loaded gun in an attic. Phillip’e Woodard was 8 years old and full of promise. He was the third child in Nashville killed in an accidental shooting so far this year, and one of at least a dozen in our state. Tennessee has one of the highest rates in the U.S. of accidental firearm deaths among children, and the incidence has been rising.

Children are curious. They climb up to see what’s on the closet shelf and in the medicine cabinet. No matter how well parents think they have hidden Christmas or birthday presents, children will persist until they find them. And all too often, they find loaded, unsecured firearms, with tragic consequences.

Secure storage is one of the simplest and most effective ways we can reduce accidental deaths and suicides. And now it’s easier than ever to secure your firearms: The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has made free gun locks available in every county, and the state does not charge sales tax on gun safes.

Organizations and local governments are stepping up to help. For instance, the Chapel Hill Police Department in Marshall County gives out free gun safety kits. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville and Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga  are partnering with the Department of Safety to distribute free gun locks. The number of participating locations is growing.

We are heartbroken by the loss of another young life, but we are not helpless. We are more determined than ever to do what we can to make a difference through legislation, education, advocacy and voting. Please register to vote (or confirm that your registration is current) by Oct. 7 and research the candidates so you can cast an informed vote in the Nov. 5 election.

Thank you for being with us.

With gratitude,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

Back to School Bash
More than 400 adults and kids gathered last Sunday for an afternoon of fun and fundraising at the inaugural Safer TN Back to School Bash in Nashville. Headliner Ketch Secor, frontman for Old Crow Medicine Show, gave a musical performance and a reading of his children’s book, Lorraine: The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away.

Covering the State Virtually
If you live in one of the counties listed here, you might see video ads for Safer TN pop up on your social media feed. Our goal is simple: to bring awareness of the issues to more Tennesseans and grow our coalition in new areas. Take a look and let us know what you think! 

Franklin	Madison
Rutherford	Knox
Sumner	Montgomery
Blount	Hamilton
Shelby	Putnam

Safer TN on the Road
Todd Cruse, Safer TN’s Board Chair, spoke to a full house at the Mt. Juliet Rotary this week, sharing the alarming facts about firearm tragedies in Tennessee and describing Safer TN’s policy priorities.

Tuesday, September 24 at 6 p.m.: The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is holding a webinar on Youth Firearm Suicide Prevention Advocacy. Learn more and register here.

On Wednesday, October 2nd, Safer TN is convening a webinar on “Preventing Suicide in Tennessee: A Conversation on Mental Health and Firearm Safety.”

We’ll hear from leaders across the state representing mental health providers, veterans, the judicial system, and those personally impacted by suicide by firearm. Registration info coming soon! 

Working towards a centralized court system
This past session, the TN General Assembly enacted legislation to require the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to create a centralized system for case management, electronic case filing, data reporting, electronic payment methods, and other capabilities, for all Tennessee Clerks of Court to integrate or use. 

The Tennessee Judiciary is divided into 32 judicial districts spanning across 95 counties with 300 courts. Currently, each district and county has varying degrees of autonomy, and each district and county clerk can generally choose their own case management system. This gives judges, clerks and local governments more control over the management of their specific courts, but it can lead to inconsistent practices and data entry across the state. Inconsistencies with data entry and incompatible systems have been a contributing factor to the now half-million record backlog in our state background check system, TICS. Creating a centralized system is a vital step towards strengthening our state’s background check system so that records don’t fall through the cracks. 

The AOC has begun this process, partnering with a contractor to design a plan for implementation, who is reviewing existing systems and then will begin soliciting feedback from stakeholders. The AOC is due to report to the legislature on progress on January 31, 2025. 

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Two out of three suicide deaths in Tennessee are attributable to suicide by firearm.  And Tennessee has a firearm suicide rate that’s nearly 50% higher than the national average.

Child’s accidental shooting death marks third in Nashville for 2024 (WSMV) – A deadly shooting on North Second Street Saturday night added to a troubling statistic in the state of Tennessee. The Metro Nashville Police Department said 8-year-old Phillip’e Woodard was playing with a gun inside a family member’s East Nashville home when it accidentally went off.

Woodard’s death marks the third accidental shooting of a child in Nashville this year. “That’s an unacceptable statistic,” Claudia Huskey, Executive Director of Voices for a Safer Tennessee, said. …

The organization held an event Sunday at Fat Bottom Brewing, where they spoke with parents as school gets back into session. They reminded parents to check before bringing kids to other homes to ensure gun storage is being practiced if the homeowner is also a gun owner.

“First thing that gun owners can do is securely store their firearms,” Huskey said. “So, that means it’s in a locked compartment that only the gun owner can access.”

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What if it happened here? How Tennessee’s laws on guns and minors compare with Georgia’s (Nashville Banner)

Tennessee child mortality rates rise 12%, firearm injuries a leading cause (Fox 17 Nashville)

The new school year is barely underway, but already a community in a neighboring state has been devastated by a fatal school shooting. Two 14-year-olds and two teachers died in the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. Nine others were wounded.

While we are still learning more about what motivated the 14-year-old shooter, we know that he obtained the rifle used in the attack from his father, as a holiday gift, even after the shooter had been previously investigated in connection with anonymous online threats. (The father was arrested late Thursday on multiple charges related to the shootings.)

Sadly, we know the majority of school shooters use firearms accessed in the home. Responsible firearm ownership means making sure firearms are secured in gun safes, in locked gun cabinets, or with a cable lock or with another device that renders them inaccessible to children or anyone else other than the lawful owner, and separate from ammunition. 

There is a strong relationship between suicidality and the perpetration of mass shootings, with early reports indicating that the Georgia shooter struggled with his mental health. Of all mass shooters in The Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting. An additional 39% were suicidal during the shooting. Those numbers were significantly higher for younger shooters, with K-12 students who engaged in mass shootings were found to be suicidal in 92% of instances and college/university students who engaged in mass shooting suicidal 100% of the time.

During the month of September, which has been designated as National Suicide Prevention Month, Safer TN will be providing information and programming on suicide prevention. It may surprise you to learn that most firearm deaths in our state are suicides. As detailed in the Policy section of this week’s newsletter, keeping firearms out of the hands of people in crisis is a major focus of Safer TN’s efforts. By doing so, we may help save not just one life at a time, but the lives of many others.

As Safer TN’s Katy Dieckhaus, who lost her precious daughter Evelyn last year in the Covenant School shooting, says so eloquently, our hearts are with our neighbors in Georgia. Our resolve is stronger than ever.

Sincerely,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

Tennessee Voices on Suicide Prevention

What many don’t realize is the majority of firearm deaths – both statewide and nationally – are the result of firearm suicides.  

Tennesseans have shared their stories on how they and their loved ones have been affected: 

• Annette Lake with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network joined Safer TN’s Katy Dieckhaus and Erin Rogus on the Carlos Whitaker Podcast where she shared her heartbreaking story of losing both her father and her son to suicide by firearm. 
  
• Faith leaders Rev. Clay Stauffer and Rabbi Shana Mackler share their experience in this past Tennessean op-ed.

Suicide by Firearm Data & What Policies Make a Difference

Tennessee has a suicide rate nearly 20% higher than the national 2022 rate. In our state, firearms are by far the most prevalent means of suicide, accounting for more than double the number of suicides from all other methods combined. 

Rural Tennesseans are disproportionately impacted: According to an analysis by the Tennessee Department of Health, the data shows that individuals living in rural regions die by suicide at a rate 1.5 times higher than those living in metro regions. 

In Tennessee, a shocking 91% of firearm deaths for those aged 65+ are suicides. Another startling figure: 78% of white male firearm deaths are also suicides. 

While the majority of firearm deaths for children 14 and under in Tennessee are attributable to homicides, 35% of these child deaths are suicides (2018-2021), according to an analysis by the Sycamore Institute. 

Nationwide, the rate of firearm-related suicide has increased dramatically over the past decade, particularly among our youth.

Policies that make a difference: 

• Temporary transfer laws – which establish a court-ordered process to temporarily remove access to firearms for those who pose a credible threat to themselves or others – have been enacted in 21 states. In Connecticut and Indiana, where the laws have been on the books the longest, they’ve seen a firearm suicide rate reduction of 14% and 8%, respectively. 

• Secure storage requirements that include child access prevention laws have been shown in multiple studies to reduce total suicides among young people. Such laws vary by state and can include imposing penalties if (1) a child could access the firearm, (2) a child did access a firearm, and/or (3) a child accessed and used a firearm. 

From the Tennessee Department of Health: If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, know that help is available. Call or text 988, then press 0 for 24/7, free, and confidential support. Visit preventsuicidetn.com to learn about resources available in your area.

Come See Us in Columbia on September 6

Our coalition members will be at First Fridays in Columbia on the evening of Sept. 6. Stop by our table to say hello and pick up some swag! Click here to join us.

Join Us September 15 at the Safer TN Back to School Bash!

You and your family are invited to Safer TN’s first Back to School Bash featuring special musical guest Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show. Enjoy an afternoon of food, refreshments, kid-friendly games and activities at this inaugural event aimed at promoting safety as we head back to school. Get ready to be inspired and empowered to make a difference in your community. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with people who share your commitment to firearm safety. More information and tickets here.

If you have an upcoming event where you’d like to see a Safer TN presence, share the event details and we’ll reach out to you to discuss next steps. 

Join the Safer TN Team 

Voices for a Safer Tennessee is growing!  We are seeking an experienced communications professional to serve as our Director of Communications, leading key aspects of the organization’s communications strategy in an effort to reduce preventable firearm deaths and injuries in Tennessee. 

Click here to learn more about the position and apply. 

And please share with any friends or colleagues who might be interested in joining us in this passion-driven, meaningful work.

Firearm Suicides Reached a Record High in 2023

While firearm homicides declined nationwide in 2023, gun suicides rose to a record high of 27,300. That represents a 29 percent increase from a decade earlier, when 21,175 people died from gun suicide. Firearm suicides now account for 58% of all gun deaths. (Source: The Trace)

Tennessee children continue to be harmed by gun violence. When will enough be enough? (Tennessean op-ed by healthcare leader John Bumpus)

• “Recently, I sat next to a physician who the night before had performed surgery on a 4-year-old who accidentally shot himself with a loaded gun in his home; a 13-year-old was fatally shot with a gun stolen from someone’s car in a park where my young children played frequently; and a young woman who had just graduated high school in my community was killed by a peer who found a high power weapon that was not safely secured in a home and assumed it wasn’t loaded when he shot it. These awful tragedies – and many others that did not make the news – are indicative of what the data shows in Tennessee: that our children are dying from firearm-related events more than any other reason, and that firearm tragedies continue to trend in the wrong direction.”

Tennessee must continue to make lowering the crime rate a priority now and into the future (Commercial Appeal)

Convicted felon arrested after shooting 2 in downtown Nashville, police say (WSMV)

Georgia school-shooting suspect struggled with mental health, aunt says (Washington Post)

Less than 14% of registered voters in Tennessee turned out for the primary Aug. 1. Although the November presidential election is expected to draw far heavier turnout, many voters give little thought to state and local contests or skip them altogether. 

Those of us who care deeply about firearm safety have an opportunity in November to make an impact on the makeup of the next General Assembly. The time to start is now. Register to vote or make sure your registration is current by the Oct. 7 deadline, and make sure every eligible voter in your circle does the same. 

Before you vote, do your homework to determine where the candidates stand on firearm safety. We have updated our voter tool to provide you with information about who is on your ballot and how and where to vote. 

We urge you to contact the candidates and ask them where they stand on firearm safety issues such as secure storage requirements, temporary transfer laws and expanding background checks. Put a Safer TN magnet on your car to show where you stand. Let’s put the candidates on notice that most Tennesseans, including their own constituents, favor measures to make our communities safer.

Change is a long journey. Thank you for walking with us.

Sincerely,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

Come See Us in Columbia on September 6

Our coalition members will be at First Fridays in Columbia on the evening of Sept. 6. Stop by our table to say hello and pick up some swag! Want to volunteer? Click here to join us.

Join Us September 15 at the Safer TN Back to School Bash!

You and your family are invited to Safer TN’s first Back to School Bash featuring special musical guest Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show. Enjoy an afternoon of food, refreshments, kid-friendly games and activities at this inaugural event aimed at promoting safety as we head back to school. Get ready to be inspired and empowered to make a difference in your community. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with people who share your commitment to firearm safety. More information and tickets here.

If you have an upcoming event where you’d like to see a Safer TN presence, share the event details and we’ll reach out to you to discuss next steps.

NEW: Safer TN Candidate Search Tool for General Election 

After the great response to our primary candidate search tool that allowed Tennessee voters to look up who is on their ballot, we’ve updated the tool with general election candidate information. Find out who will be on the ballot in your district in November, and easily access their websites and contact information where you can encourage them to prioritize firearm safety in their policy platforms. 

Learn More About Jillian’s Law on August 27 The Lawyers’ Association for Women Marion Griffin Chapter is presenting a panel discussion Aug. 27 on Jillian’s Law, the measure enacted this year that prohibits criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial from purchasing or possessing firearms and requires that they be committed to an appropriate treatment facility if they pose a threat to themselves or others. CLE credits are available for attorneys who attend. More info and tickets here.

Secure Storage Webinar on August 28
Everytown for Gun Safety is holding a webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m.  CT about how you can promote secure firearm storage, which evidence shows can reduce child gun deaths and suicides. Learn more and register here.

Safer TN car magnets are being spotted across the state! Show your support for Safer TN with a car magnet. Request one (or multiple!) here. 

The latest data from the CDC on firearm deaths, 2023 provisional data published in July, shows deaths have dropped in the U.S., except among children – which saw an increase from 2,542 firearm deaths in 2022 to 2,581 in 2023. 

Regional firearm death rates also varied considerably. The South had the highest number of firearm deaths (22,654) and the highest firearm death rate (17.4 per 100,000), according to the CDC data. (Source: The Trace)

Tennessee children continue to be harmed by gun violence. When will enough be enough? (The Tennessean) 

Tennessee law to let teachers carry guns in schools caused a ruckus, but has drawn little interest (Chalkbeat)

In Rural Tennessee, Domestic Violence Victims Face Barriers to Getting Justice. One County Has Transformed Its Approach. (ProPublica)

Metro Nashville Public Health Department offering free gun locks at all clinics (WKRN)

Gun Deaths Fell in 2023 — Except Among Kids (The Trace)

As we send our children back to school this month, we feel excitement, a sense of possibility, and no small measure of apprehension. Will my child be safe? 

School shootings are thankfully rare, but when they do occur, they are devastating. A Tennessee law adopted this year allows school superintendents and sheriffs to authorize school staff members to carry firearms if they undergo extensive training, a background check, and a psychological assessment.

Safer TN does not believe adding guns to gun-free zones ever makes us safer, and we are pleased that many districts have publicly declared that they do not intend to participate in this program. We are not aware of any districts that have moved forward to allow teachers and other staff members to carry firearms at school.

We urge you to speak up and let your school officials know where you stand on this issue. If your superintendent has announced that he or she does not intend to allow armed staff, send a note of thanks. If your district hasn’t announced any decision, let the local superintendent and sheriff know you want to keep the schools gun-free. We’ve provided a web-based tool that makes it easy. 

It is by using our collective voices and our votes that we will bring about change. Thank you for your partnership as we work together to keep our children and communities safer.

With gratitude,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

On Tuesday, August 6, Safer TN representatives attended the Edgehill Resident Association Annual Night Against Crime in Nashville. Our volunteers met neighbors and shared information about firearm safety.

Primary Election Recap

Election update, from The Tennessean: “Statewide voter participation in Thursday’s primary elections was the lowest in decades, with fewer than 14% of Tennessee’s registered voters voting early, absentee or on election day. While voter registration has increased steadily in recent years, fewer registered voters are actually participating in elections.”

• Tennessee is last in the nation for voter turnout. Only about 637,500 voters of nearly 4.6 million registered voters cast ballots in this primary. 

This is why every vote matters: 

• 39 of 99 State House seats were determined in the primary election (because there will be no opponent in the November general election).
• 5 out of 16 State Senate seats were determined in the primary (because there will be no opponent in the November general election).
• 5 primary races were decided by fewer than 200 votes. 

All election results, including by county or district, are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

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Jillian’s Law Put to Use 
Jillian’s Law, which was enacted this past legislative session and went into effect on July 1, is already being put to use. It  prohibits the purchase or possession of firearms by individuals deemed incompetent to stand trial, and establishes a process for involuntary commitment to mental health treatment for those who are incompetent and pose a danger to themselves or others.

• WKRN: The defendant in this first reported case was deemed incompetent to stand trial for a string of felonies, like burglary and theft, and will be admitted into the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute.
• Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk explained how this law will make a difference. His office has identified about 30 people who met the criteria outlined in the law – committed felony-level crimes but found incompetent to stand trial – and were let go prior to Jillian’s Law’s passage, even though those individuals had a very high likelihood of committing other major crimes.
  • D.A. Funk: “[H]aving this law in the books gives us another tool to be able to properly establish public safety and work for the benefit of everybody in the community. Doctors, instead of the criminal justice system, deal with this person, but they’re not just having their cases dismissed and returned to the streets.” 

The new law is named for Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig, who tragically lost her life last November to shots fired by a mentally incompetent individual.

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Teacher Carry Law 

As our kids head back to school, Safer TN continues to monitor which counties and school districts have opted out of the new law to establish a training and approval process for teachers and other staff members to carry concealed firearms in schools.

If you don’t see your school district on the list below, we encourage you to weigh in with school leadership. We have a tool to make it easy here. 
If your school district has publicly opted out and you don’t see it listed below, please let us know at info@safertn.org. 

The general election is on November 5, with key voting dates below. Make sure you’re registered to vote!

The Trace’s Data Hub tracks firearm sales by state. Last month, 45,393 firearms were estimated to have been sold in Tennessee. Monthly sales have more than doubled over the past two decades.

• ‘Jillian’s Law’ put to use in Tennessee (WKRN)

• Where Middle Tennessee schools stand on allowing teachers to carry guns (The Tennessean)
  
• Federal appeals court upholds Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons (NPR)

We have two more days to vote early in this primary election, which will set the course for the next session of the General Assembly. It’s hard to overstate the importance of the primary: Because of the way Tennessee’s state legislative and Congressional districts are drawn, the primary is often the race to win and determines who will hold the seat. We are, in effect, choosing a large percentage of our legislature NOW. 

To date, only 5% of registered voters in Tennessee have cast ballots in the primary. We have an opportunity – and an obligation – to help turn that around. To make an impact, every member of our coalition needs to vote and to make sure family members and friends do, too.

Safer TN is not endorsing candidates in this election, but we encourage you to educate yourself about the candidates on your ballot and where they stand on firearm safety. Use our online voter tool to start your research.

Like many of you, I’m a busy working parent. I don’t wait until Election Day to vote, because  there’s always a risk that a sick child or other emergency will throw a wrench into the day’s schedule. That’s why I take advantage of Tennessee’s early voting window to make sure I get to the polls. We at Safer TN urge you to do the same. You can find early voting locations and hours in your county here. 

If you don’t get a chance to cast an early vote today or tomorrow, polls are open on election day – Thursday, August 1 – with polling locations listed here. 

Thank you for using your vote to create a safer Tennessee for our children and communities.

With gratitude,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

We looked at the data and we’re lagging previous early voter totals – with only three voting days left! The latest figures show 167,399 FEWER Tennesseans have voted early than at this point in 2020. Let’s change that with a strong finish!

Make a voting plan: 

1. Find your polling place and polling hours. 

2. Educate yourself on who is on the ballot. You can look up a sample ballot for your district here, and use our new voter tool to see who is on the ballot and easily access their websites for info about their policy positions. 

3. Head to the polls! Make sure you bring a valid photo ID issued by the State of Tennessee or the U.S. Government. Student IDs are not accepted.

Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 are the LAST days to early vote in the primary. Primary election day is Thursday, August 1st.

Tennessee can’t be LAST! According to recent election data, Tennessee has the LOWEST voter turnout in the nation – meaning the elected officials who are making vital decisions about our firearm safety laws are elected by only a small fraction of Tennesseans. 

The Safer TN coalition is heading to the polls! And teaching our kids about the importance of making our voices heard with our votes:

Show us your “I voted” sticker (and any little voting helpers!) by tagging us on social at @voices4safertn #SaferTN

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on why his office made the decision to issue a historic Advisory on Gun Violence in America, identifying it as a “Public Health Crisis”:

First, the Surgeon General’s publications in the Office of the Surgeon General have been used in the past to draw the country to action around critical issues. I think about smoking back in 1964, when Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first Surgeon General’s Report on tobacco. That was a time when cigarette smoking was deeply interwoven into the culture of America. Forty-two percent of the country smoked. Kids and adults were both seeing advertisements for smoking all the time. Doctors smoked. It seemed like it was the normal thing to do.

Yet, despite that, when we realized that smoking is a public health issue, we took action to address it. That report catalyzed a series of programs, educational initiatives, youth advocacy efforts, as well as policies from lawmakers that ultimately helped reduce smoking from 42 percent in 1964 to below 12 percent, where it is today.

I look at our country’s experience with car accidents, with car accident-related deaths. And here, too, you can see a moment where, rather than just accepting the high level of car accident-related deaths as the new normal, we said, “No, we can make cars safer. We can prevent this loss of life.” And that’s what we did.Even on intractable issues, we can make progress when we see them for what they are: public health issues that require a public health approach. And so I do draw some inspiration from that. Here, too, the solution is complex, but it’s feasible, and it’s possible.

While there is often the perception that the increase in firearm injury and death is an urban problem, recent analysis of Gun Violence Archive data shows small towns and rural areas in the South have seen a 70% increase in shooting deaths and injuries from 2014 – 2023.

Guns, money stolen in multiple Dickson County car burglaries (WKRN)

Men arrested for shooting Tennessee state trooper in Cookeville (WDEF)

Teen grazed by bullet in Knoxville shooting, police say (WVLT8)

In a Decade, Firearm Deaths Among Young Black People in Rural America Have Quadrupled (The Trace)