This article was created for Propublica’s local reporting network in collaboration with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio. Sign up for Dispatch to get stories like this as soon as it is published.
Two Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee aim to protect victims of domestic violence by demanding more transparency from those ordered by court to abandon their guns. The law has been submitted.
The bill’s introduction found that the state’s loose gun laws and enforcement allow firearms to stay in the hands of abusers who are prohibited from maintaining abusers, including those who have continued to kill victims. Continuing with reports from WPLN and Propublica. Tennessee does not allow anyone to own a gun if they are convicted of domestic violence or are subject to a protection order.
Tennessee is one of around 12 states that allow those ordered to abandon their guns to give to third parties, such as friends or relatives. And it is one of the only states that do not require that a person be identified in court, leaving no way to look into them through the legal system. Someone has given up on the gun, but can still say they have access to it, advocates for victims of domestic violence say.
The latest reports on guns from WPLN and Propublica have revolutionized approaches to reducing domestic violence by requiring guns to include the names of people receiving the guns. I emphasized the work of
State Rep. Kelly Kaysling, a Republican representing Scott County, and R-Knoxville state Sen. Becky Massey, now wants to take that change across the state. Massey pointed to WPLN and Propobrica’s reports on Scott County as inspiration for the bill. But she said it’s unclear what the state’s Republican supermajority and their chances are.
“A death kiss on the bill is that it’s easy,” Massey said. “I know the time. I don’t know if I can achieve anything unless I try it. But I mean that it’s not changing the law. They’re supposed to confiscate. So. , it’s the question of what form is like.”
Modifying public forms is an easy step, but it could bring about a massive return, Christie Harness said.
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“You’re teasing me!” said the jeering Harness when he heard the news about the bill. “My goodness. How wonderful for the victims of the whole state.”
Tennessee has consistently one of the highest percentages of women killed by men, and most of those murders are committed with guns. An analysis of Nashville’s WPLN and Propublica homicide data and court records shows that between 2007 and 2024, nearly 40% of those who died in domestic violence shootings were killed by people who should not have access to firearms during a crime. It shows that this has been done.
“If they couldn’t maintain possession of that firearm, or if it was given to someone we could check, maybe we’d have done that extra step to save someone else’s life.” said Harness.
Research shows that the involvement of firearms is very likely to lead to fatal domestic violence cases. And dangers are also spreading outside the home. One study shows that domestic violence calls are the most dangerous for law enforcement, and researchers found that large shooters often have a history of domestic violence .
In rural Tennessee, victims of domestic violence face barriers to justice. One county changed its approach.
Judge Scarlett Ellis, who oversees the Scott County Domestic Violence Court, said: “I’m a little more accountable.”
Ellis said that even rural, conservative, second amendment friendly counties like hers have refused no one to fill out, sign or return the revised form. Scott voted for Donald Trump with the highest percentage of Tennessee counties in the last two presidential elections.
“This is a clear example of when the community has fallen behind in implementing the law, and it’s not important that you can make changes no matter how big or small you are.” Ellis said.
