Although Tennessee has one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the country, the state has only a few basic laws aimed at reducing gun violence. Indeed, legislators in Tennessee have recently weakened the state’s policies, eliminating the carry permitting requirement, allowing nearly anyone in the state to carry loaded firearms in public without a background check, permit, or safety training. After the 2023 mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, lawmakers failed to pass any meaningful gun safety legislation, and instead passed a dangerous law in 2024 making it easier to arm teachers in K–12 schools. In 2025, lawmakers expanded the state’s law that shields gun industry actors from facing liability for the harm their products cause.