YFGS Newsletter - May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024 —

Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Youth For Gun Safety newsletter. Per our organization description:

This newsletter is Youth For Gun Safety's effort to spreading awareness about gun violence and gun control efforts regionally, nationally, and internationally. AND This newsletter serves to provide regional, national, and international information on gun violence and gun control efforts. Our hope is that this newsletter serves to inform you on this important topic.

We plan to post this newsletter on a bi-monthly basis to better inform our communities about the gun violence faced by others across the world.

Our new website has also just gone live; if you’d like to keep up with us, please check us out there or on our Instagram.

Thank you so much for your support and, if you have any questions, please email us at this address, or by replying to this email.

NEWS UPDATES:

Louisiana Law:

As of February 28th, a bill allowing Louisiana residents 18 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit received final approval from lawmakers Wednesday. According to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, with this bill in place, Louisiana joins 27 other states allowing permitless concealed carry.

The state, however, is distinct in that its bill applies to individuals 18 and older rather than placing more strict age restrictions. Individuals would be able to hide guns in their clothing without having to pay for a government permit, having their fingerprints taken, or completing a firearm training course. Fortunately, despite the bill, those who legally own guns would still be restricted from carrying them in certain areas, including schools, churches, police stations, courthouses, and the Capitol. 

Those who support the bill spoke of their sentiments during a legislative session, describing the measure as a “constitutional carry bill”—arguing that the current permitting requirements—to carry a concealed weapon, a person must be at least 21 and have a concealed handgun permit—are unconstitutional. Those who oppose the bill emphasized Louisiana’s high rate of gun violence, which could be potentially exacerbated with the measure.

Louisiana already “had the country’s second-highest rate of gun-related deaths in 2021 with 1,314, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (US News), including suicides and homicides. Even the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police “opposed the bill — saying that removing the process could ‘increase the likelihood of firearms ending up in the possession of those who pose a danger to themselves’” (US News). 

Maryland Teen:

An 18-year-old high school student, Alex Ye, was arrested and charged with threat of mass violence after police discovered a 129-page document outlining detailed plans for a school shooting. 

Although arrested on April 17, authorities had been notified about Ye’s case via Instagram messaging previously. The FBI had also interviewed the student’s school counselor in March, further giving authorities context regarding Ye’s situation. 

A report by Everytown—one of America’s largest gun control organizations—details four primary factors that contribute to school shootings, including that there will always be advanced warning signs. In Alex Ye’s situation, the warning signs were particularly evident, as Ye had a history of hospitalizations for violent and suicidal thoughts, including a five-month stay at Johns Hopkins Pediatric Unit in 2023. Furthermore, in the aforementioned interview with Ye’s school counselor, FBI agents were told that “Ye would ‘express violent thoughts such as shooting up the school, wanting to hurt other people, and would smile while saying it,’” per CNN.

Ye is currently detained without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit pending his trial on June 3. In the state of Maryland, the threat of mass violence is classified as a misdemeanor with a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in jail. 

In response, the school district increased security measures, particularly at Wootton High School, where there was imminent concern about a potential shooting, as detailed in the 129-page document. Support resources, including psychologists, social workers, and counselors, have been made available to both students and staff. 

Tennessee Legislation 

On April 24, 2024, the Tennessee House passed a bill allowing teachers and other school staff members to carry concealed firearms on school grounds. 

Although gun reform advocates and students heavily lobbied against the bill earlier this year, Representative Ryan Williams's bill passed. It could become a law within the next couple of weeks. Williams' bill also includes a secrecy clause, allowing staff members to withhold information if they’re carrying a gun from other staff members, students, and parents.

Numerous Republicans, including Williams and other members of the House, believe that trained staff can increase overall security, according to USA Today. However, survivors of the school shooting at Covenant School in Nashville bank their survival on their teacher. Teachers within the school protected their students by keeping them hidden and quiet while the shooter open fired, rather than calling attention to the students hiding away by attempting to fight back. 

Governor Bill Lee, who has never vetoed before, signed the bill.

If the bill passes, armed teachers will undergo minimal training and be allowed to carry firearms in classrooms and on school grounds. What does this mean for the safety of our schools? According to a report done by ACLU West Virginia, arming teachers limits the trust students have in them, especially if teachers can withhold information about carrying. Along with this, they noted how “the impacts of arming teachers will most likely fall on already-marginalized students,” which relates to another of Everytown’s key factors: “school gun violence has a disproportionate impact on students of color.” One of the ways this claim can be seen is through Student Resource Officers (SROs), who already permit unfair treatment of students of color. Adding undertrained, armed teachers to the mix increases the likelihood of school gun violence.

Everytown has also debunked policies that, in some places, have been deemed “safety measures” for students. One of these is the strategy of arming teachers. Arming teachers is dangerous and unrealistic. The idea that an under trained teacher could neutralize a school shooter or dangerous student is extremely unreliable. 

This bill questions the safety of our schools, the reliability of our government, and the future of gun violence in our country.

YFGS UPDATES:

• New website is LIVE

• We will be hosting a workshop on gun control at Oregon Episcopal School in the coming week

Thank you,

Youth For Gun Safety

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