Safer TN Tracker | 4.23.26 - Voices for a Safer Tennessee

This week began with devastating news: a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, claimed the lives of eight children and left two others critically injured. Family members of the gunman have since shared that he had struggled with mental health challenges and had recently expressed suicidal thoughts, a painful reminder that warning signs often precede tragedy.

This is exactly why we do this work. Pragmatic firearm safety policies, like temporary transfer laws, exist to create a pathway for action when those warning signs appear. These laws provide a mechanism to temporarily limit access to weapons for individuals who are known to be a danger to themselves or others, without permanently stripping anyone of their rights.

The need for such policies could not be more urgent here in Tennessee. Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and teens in our state. Both homicides and suicides involving firearms are increasing, and the overall rate of firearm deaths, for children and adults alike, has risen 62 percent over the last decade. That is not a statistic we can accept. Laws that balance individual rights with meaningful public safety measures would save lives, and that is why we will keep advocating for them.

#1 What We’re Tracking: Save the Date: Data Dashboard Webinar – May 14

A landmark partnership between Safer TN and the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has produced an interactive dashboard revealing the staggering toll of firearm injuries and deaths in the state.

Join Matt Harris, Ph.D., the Boyd Distinguished Professor of Health Economics at the Boyd Center and co-creator of the dashboard, and Erin Rogus, Safer TN board member, for an interactive webinar session exploring this important research and what it means for Tennesseans.

Registration information to come.

#2 What We’re Tracking: You’re Invited: “Louder Than Guns” Panel and Screening

What: You are invited to a special viewing of “Louder Than Guns,” a documentary executive produced by Safer TN advisory board member Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, with a pre-screening panel discussion.

When: Monday, May 11 at 8:00 p.m.

Where: Belcourt Theater, 2102 Belcourt Avenue Nashville TN 37212

Who: The panel discussion will feature:

Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show and executive producer of “Louder Than Guns”
Katy Dieckhaus, community engagement coordinator for Safer TN, whose daughter Evelyn died in the Covenant School shooting
Clay Stauffer, senior minister, Woodmont Christian Church, and author of “What the World Needs Now: Virtue and Character in an Age of Chaos”
Blake Farmer (moderator), host of Nashville Public Radio’s “This is Nashville”

Doug Pray, “Louder Than Guns” director, and David Greene, host of KCRW’s “Left, Right and Center” and former host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” will also be in attendance.

purchase tickets now

#3 What We’re Tracking: Stories from the Road

I met so many wonderful people at Mule Day in Columbia last week, and I was reminded why these conversations matter so much. A father stopped by our booth with his young son, and as we discussed secure storage, he confidently told me his firearm was well hidden. His son quickly chimed in, “I know where it is, Dad. It’s in your drawer.” The father was stunned and replied, “Well, you’re not supposed to be going through my drawer.”

That moment opened the door to an important conversation. Hidden is not the same as secure. Situations like this are more common than many people realize, and they underscore why our work is so critical. By meeting people where they are, having honest conversations, and sharing practical safety solutions, we can help prevent tragedies.

– Katy Dieckhaus, Safer TN Community Engagement Coordinator