NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the state across the country.
Several advocates, aiming to fight and put an end to gun violence, are touring the nation to raise awareness of the crisis. On Sunday, Aug. 18, the school bus tour plans to make a stop in Nashville.
Nashville is the third stop of the 15-city, 13-state "Shotline Tour." According to tour organizers, the "Shotline" uses an AI platform to recreate the voices of victims who were killed by gun violence. To listen to the recordings, click here.
The tour was created by the parents of a Parkland mass shooting victim who are now rallying other advocates to call on lawmakers to make changes to legislation.
One of those advocates is Shaundelle Brooks. The Democratic nominee for Tennessee House District 60 is one of several speakers who will make remarks at the Nashville stop.
Brooks' son, Akilah DaSilva, was killed in the Antioch Waffle House mass shooting in 2018. She told News 2 that she's determined to push for change in Tennessee in honor of her son's memory.
"My biggest thing is keeping Tennessee safe and making sure families don't experience what my family is experiencing," said Brooks. "Mothers don't go through what I'm going through. You know, a lot of this could have been prevented with good policy, right."
According to Brooks, one of those policies includes "red flag" laws, which are also known as "extreme risk protection laws."
"Red Flag laws like when someone is experiencing some kind of mental breakdown that their family members can intervene and call in the necessary people to make sure that their weapons are temporarily taken until the situation is resolved and that is ok. When things like that happen and laws like that are put in place, situations like mine, why my son is not here, could have been avoided," Brooks told News 2.
The bus tour will make a stop at Lush Cosmetics at The Mall at Green Hills on Sunday, Aug. 18, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Brooks and parents from the Covenant School are expected to speak.