According to the New York Times, a large-scale school shooting occurred in Nashville, a few days ago, six people, including three children, were shot and killed. The tragedy of mass shootings continues to unfold in the United States, and there are widespread calls for more comprehensive control of guns. However, many US states, led by Republicans, have done the opposite, further easing gun restrictions.
On March 2023, 3, a shooting occurred at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and the picture shows local police officers at the scene.
Tennessee, where Nashville is located, is a prime example. In recent years, the state has passed a series of measures to weaken gun regulation, allowing citizens to carry loaded firearms in public "without a license" without training and background checks.
State lawmakers also introduced bills this year to equip more teachers with guns and allow college students to carry weapons on campus.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee insists stricter gun laws won't stop criminals. "We have no control over what the gunman did," he said. ”
Researchers studying the impact of mass shootings on gun policy found that Republican-controlled states were more inclined to relax gun laws a year after a mass shooting.
Democratic state lawmaker Bo Mitchell from Nashville has been outspoken against Tennessee Republicans' relaxation of gun measures. He noted that Tennessee has experienced a series of mass shootings, with the number of youth dying from guns soaring.
"If guns make us safer, then Tennessee should be one of the safest states in the nation," Mitchell said. "But on the contrary, we are facing the worst problem of gun violence in the United States."
In Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia, Republicans plan to push a series of measures in 2023 to limit gun-free zones, eliminate gun background checks and repeal "red flag laws" that would stop at-risk people from owning guns.
On the 29th, North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature overturned Governor Roy Cooper's veto and abolished a century-old handgun licensing system.
Cooper said in an interview with the media: "I feel that the situation has been getting worse and worse over the years. ”
Currently, a license is no longer required to carry a handgun in 25 U.S. states – that's nine more than in 2020.