Boston, Mass., Apr 18, 2023 / 13:20 pm
The Catholic bishops of Tennessee joined more than 130 religious leaders in the state Tuesday in calling on Republican Gov. Bill Lee and the Legislature to enact tighter gun restrictions including “extreme risk” or “red flag” laws.
The letter comes less than a month after a mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville in which a former student shot and killed three current students and three staff members.
“As faith leaders, we encourage you, our elected leaders, to take steps that will help protect our kids and our cherished individual rights,” says the April 17 letter, which was signed by Bishop Mark Spalding of Nashville, Bishop David Talley of Memphis, and Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville.
In the letter, which was led by a state coalition calling for firearm restrictions, Voices for a Safer Tennessee, three requests were made of lawmakers and the governor.