The Honorable Governor Lee, Lt. Gov. McNally, and Speaker Sexton:

As Tennessee healthcare professionals, we remain devastated by the horrific events at the Covenant School this Monday in Nashville where 3 children and 3 adults were killed. This latest school shooting, the 39th this year, will forever change the lives of the children, families, community members and all of those impacted by this terrible tragedy. While we grieve with these families and wrap our arms around them and their community, we cannot be silent, and we must act. Guns and firearm violence are now the leading cause of death in children in the United States. Every day 6 children and teens die from firearm injuries in this country. That means every school week, an entire classroom full of children do not come home to their families. Our children have a right to go to school, grow, thrive, and learn without the fear of being gunned down in their schools. Parents have the right to send their children to school without the fear that they may never return home.

As clinicians we see and care for children with the devastating physical effects of gunshot wounds and the resulting emotional and mental trauma that children experience because of gun violence. Survivors of nonfatal firearm injuries have over 5 times the rate of hospitalization in the 12 months following an injury compared to non-injured children. Children exposed to gun violence often have challenges with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and school performance. These consequences are preventable. For too long our leaders have not acted to reduce the effects of gun violence on our children. Instead, Tennessee has repeatedly increased access to guns in our state while refusing to put any protections in place that would make us all safer. While we have been advocating for common sense measures to reduce gun violence for years, these recent events have impacted us in a manner that we will never forget. We will never be the same.

We renew our strong call to our Tennessee legislators and leadership to pass laws and regulations that will reduce gun violence in our state. There are proven measures such as Safe Storage Laws, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and Background Check Legislation that we call to be enacted in Tennessee. This is a time for bold action and leadership. Nineteen states have already adopted an Extreme Risk Law and have shown they can prevent suicides as well as mass shootings. As Tennesseans we will accept nothing less. We call on each of you to work together to enact real change so that our children can grow and learn in a safe environment. Commit to protecting our children today.

We will continue to work to reduce gun violence by advocating for sensible gun policies, promoting evidence-based education, and participating in research. We hope to engage others in this important work. It is our deepest hope that we can honor those lives lost by decreasing these senseless acts of gun violence.

Sincerely,

Jason Yaun, MD

President