Tennessee law provides that school sites are "gun-free zones," and failure to comply carries special penalties. The Nashville massacre has reopened the debate about the real usefulness of these names. Such sites are labeled, and critics charge that assailants are encouraged to carry out attacks in these places knowing that they will not encounter armed resistance.
Tennessee law states:
Tennessee 39-17-1309 Carrying weapons on school property:
(d) (1) Each chief administrator of a public or private school shall display in prominent locations about the school a sign, at least six inches (6) high and fourteen inches (14) wide, stating:
FELONY. STATE LAW PRESCRIBES A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF SIX (6) YEARS IMPRISONMENT AND A FINE NOT TO EXCEED THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($3,000) FOR CARRYING WEAPONS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY.
Assaults in gun-free zones
In fact, several Twitter users recalled that some of the deadliest shootings have occurred precisely in "gun-free zones" across the country.
Uvalde: gun-free zone
Buffalo: gun-free zone
Boulder: gun-free zone
Orlando: gun-free zone
Parkland: gun-free zone
Las Vegas: gun-free zone
Sandy Hook: gun-free zone
San Bernardino: gun-free zone
Colorado Springs: gun-free zone
Tree of Life: gun-free zone
Nashville: gun-free zone— Sal the Agorist (@SallyMayweather) March 28, 2023
