NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Nashville lawmaker is asking Gov. Bill Lee to address school shootings in his upcoming special session.
State Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville) has asked the governor to expand the scope of his call for a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to address “the epidemic of school shootings, gun violence, and hate in Tennessee.”
The lawmaker sent a letter to the governor, stating in part the Nashville community was “heartbroken, angry and scared following yet another senseless school shooting in Tennessee,” referring to the Wednesday, Jan. 22, shooting at Antioch High School.
A 17-year-old student at the school shot and killed 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and injured another student when he reportedly opened fire in the Antioch school cafeteria. The shooter was later identified as Solomon Henderson. He died after shooting himself in the head, according to police.
Powell represents District 53 in South Nashville, including parts of Antioch.
“The Antioch High School family, especially the students and teachers, must now live with the unimaginable trauma of experiencing a school shooting,” Powell said in his letter. “Our classrooms should be sacred places to learn, and students, teachers, administrators and parents should feel the greatest sense of safety in every school in Tennessee.”
The special session is set to convene on Jan. 27 and will address the governor’s school voucher expansion, immigration safety and disaster relief for East Tennessee communities hit by Hurricane Helene in November 2024.
“No issue is more important than protecting our kids!” Powell said in his letter.
