Safer TN Launches Billboard Campaign To Help Prevent Accidental Shootings
Tennessee Ranks 3rd in the Nation for Accidental Shootings by Children
Nashville, TN – April 7, 2025 – Voices for a Safer Tennessee (Safer TN) launched a new billboard campaign Monday to help raise awareness about the dangers of unsecured firearms. With more than 21 accidental shootings reported across Tennessee so far this year, the campaign urges gun owners to secure their firearms when not in use.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that firearms be locked and unloaded when not in use, with ammunition stored separately. The NRA’s recommendation is to “ALWAYS Keep your Gun Unloaded Until Ready To Use.”
“It is crucial that your firearm is stored unloaded and locked away to prevent a tragedy,” said Todd Cruse, Safer TN’s Board Chair. “As a gun owner and a dad, I know how curious children can be. A single moment of access can lead to devastating consequences.”
Additionally, keys and lock combinations should be kept out of reach of children, adolescents, and individuals at an elevated risk of self-harm or harm to others.
In addition to advocating for policies that keep Tennesseans safer, Safer TN has increased its educational activities over the past six months, focusing on how responsible gun owners can exercise their Second Amendment rights and also keep their families, friends, and communities safe.
The campaign will run through June 7.
Billboard locations:
- I-24 W/S, 0.50 mi north of Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, north facing (Clarksville)
- I-24 N/S, 0.30 mi west of Waldron Road, west facing (Rutherford County traffic)
- I-65 E/S, 0.20 mi south of Due West Ave, north facing (Sumner County traffic)
- Broadway N/S at West End Avenue, east facing (The Nashville Sign)
- Myatt Drive E/S, 0.80 mi south of Gallatin Pike, S/F
- Myatt Drive E/S, 0.80 mi south of Gallatin Pike, N/F
- I-24 N/S, 0.50 mi west of Waldron Rd, E/F
- West End Avenue N/S, at 18th Avenue S., W/F
“I have yet to find anything where my kid doesn’t know where it is. They will find it one way or another. Whether that’s the TV remote you’re hiding or a tool in the garage that you don’t want them to play with, they are very craft when it comes to finding things they want to find or stumble across something they’ve never seen before and then being curious about it and exploring it. That is why it is so important we securely store our firearms.”
“If we are serious about reversing these data trends, secure storage is one of the easiest and most logical ways to keep kids from accidentally accessing firearms.”
“If you saw that a child could just easily access a firearm and take a life or ruin a life in any given moment, in a split second. That‘s what I hope people think about and they think to take the next step and securely store their firearm.”
