Everytown, Tennessee Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Shooting in Chattanooga

The Tennessee chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, today released the following statement after a shooting on Grove Street in which seven were shot, two fatally. All those who were shot were women and girls, the youngest of whom was 14. 

“My heart aches for the seven women and girls whose lives were taken or forever changed by this senseless gun violence,” said Louise Bell, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action and a member of the Everytown Survivor Network whose son Orlando “Rock” Gay and nephew D’Kobe Jordan were shot and killed. “Our lawmakers aren’t listening to us. They need to focus on resources and tools to help us fight back against this gun violence, but instead, they passed a permitless carry bill which will lead to more shootings and more devastated families like mine.”

In an average year, 1,193 people die by guns in Tennessee, and 2,220 are wounded. With a rate of 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people, Tennessee has the 12th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Despite this, earlier this year, Tennessee lawmakers further weakened the state’s gun laws by passing a permitless carry bill allowing people to carry loaded handguns in public with no background check and no safety training over the objections of law enforcement, faith leaders, medical professionals, and more.