Tennessee is a very permissive state when it comes to firearms. In 2021, state elected officials authorized the carrying of weapons without a license from the age of 21.
In March of last year, a 28-year-old woman broke into a Nashville elementary school, shooting dead three children, the principal and two teachers. “Kill the bill, not the kids!”, demanded mothers, their hands painted red, in the public passageway which overlooks the assembly, before being evacuated. “My child is at risk under this bill. It's dangerous and teachers don't want it. Nobody wants it,” thundered Democratic senator London Lamar, holding her 8-month-old son in her arms.. The Tennessee House of Representatives, where Republicans have three-quarters of the seats, must vote on the text next week. If passed, it would then have to be endorsed by conservative Gov. Bill Lee, whose wife Maria was a close friend of two of the victims.