Tennessee governor proposes armed guard at every school in state after shooting

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will propose funding an armed guard for every school in the state in the wake of the shooting at Covenant Christian.

The funding would cover direct payments from the state to the public school systems to pay for the guards, as well as giving grant money to private schools for armed security, said The Tennessean.

“We have an obligation, I have an obligation, to do what I can and work together with leaders across this community to address people’s concerns and to protect our kids in whatever way we can,” Lee told the newspaper.

The move would mark a continued reversal from the 2020 effort, following the death of George Floyd, to remove armed security from schools nationwide.

The resulting crime wave in schools created a backlash within the year.

Last month, the Denver Public School (DPS) system was rocked by a shooting that killed two adults staff members and ended in the suicide of the suspected teen shooter.

Just one month previously, the same high school saw a fatal shooting near school grounds. 

DPS was one of the systems that removed police from schools after 2020.

The shooting even caused a leading critic of armed police in schools to reverse his position in favor of putting at least two officers in the 80 Denver Public Schools.

“Denver school board member Tay Anderson, who led the movement to remove Denver police officers from Denver Public Schools in 2020 is now calling for reinstating DPD officers in schools according to Mayor Michael Hancock’s Chief of Staff Alan Salazar,” said local CBS News Colorado.

While Lee told The Tennessean that he would consider taking action on restricting guns in the state, the New York Post reported that he stopped short of promising support for “red flag” laws.

So called “red flag” laws allow law enforcement to confiscate or otherwise prevent the purchase of weapons by people who they deem to be threats to themselves or to others.

Such laws are criticized by Second Amendment supporters for lacking due process and being highly subject to abuse.

Others have criticized the theory behind the laws as ineffective in stopping a handful of highly publicized mass shootings, including the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed over 20 children at Robb Elementary School.

Former Covenant Christian School student Audrey Hale, who allegedly identified as transgendered, opened fire last week at the school, killing six before she was shot dead by police in Nashville. 

The killing spree at the Christian school caused Twitter to finally delete over 5000 tweets by transgendered activists calling for a “Day of Vengeance,” which has been a long-term rallying slogan for trans political shock workers.

It has also helped fuel the debate about the extent to which liberal identity politics is responsible for the shooting and the continued polarization of America.

Lee told The Tennessean that he would announce more specific proposals and school safety measures as early as this week – which will also include substantial increases in mental health funding for students.

“Mental health concerns are something that we have to continue to invest in,” Lee said. “There will be conversations across the board about mental health for students and mental health in general. And support for those who need help, and who do in fact become a threat to themselves or others.”