This week, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill allowing teachers to carry concealed handguns in schools despite heavy protests at the state capitol. Among the protests were parents, survivors and teachers from the devastating school shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023.

Host Scott Tong speaks to one Covenant School parent Sarah Shoop Neuman, who co-founded the Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows advocacy group and delivered a letter to the legislature condemning the bill.

Clarification: The audio version of this segment quotes a study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. In a statement shared with Here & Now after the segment ran, Joe McHugh, communications director for the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said: “While a strong and well-implemented concealed carry policy can reduce gun violence compared to a weak policy, research from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions consistently shows carrying firearms in public places poses a serious threat to safety. States should strongly regulate concealed carry of firearms to help protect the public, especially in sensitive locations like schools.”

This segment aired on April 25, 2024

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.