MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Founder Shannon Watts and the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today responded to reports that a Memphis woman unintentionally shot herself inside a Memphis Kroger Tuesday evening. Reports indicate she had her 18-month-old child with her.
Moms Demand Action previously launched successful petitions that garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures asking Target, Chipotle, Sonic, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Jack in the Box, Starbucks, Facebook and Instagram to adopt gun sense policies to make customers and communities safer. To date, Kroger has refused to adopt such a policy.
This incident also occurs as the Tennessee legislature is considering four dangerous gun bills that would undermine the state’s carefully constructed public safety laws including legislation that would allow people to openly carry loaded handguns in public places without a permit or firearm safety training.
The proposed measures include:
- HB 508 and SB 445, which would allow and encourage out-of-state special interest groups to sue Tennessee cities that attempt to adopt or enforce local solutions to gun violence. The measures would force Tennessee’s local governments to defend against out-of-state special interests groups looking for unjustly large payouts at taxpayer expense.
- HB 363 and SB 653, which would effectively force state and local government entities, including colleges, elementary, middle and high schools to allow guns to be carried on their property.
- HB 884 and SB 1341, which would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry hidden, loaded handguns in the same manner and in the same sensitive places as highly trained law enforcement officials – for example, allowing students and visitors to carry guns on colleges campuses; allowing guns to be carried in elementary, middle and high schools; and allowing guns to be carried in other sensitive areas across Tennessee.
- HB 40, which would allow people to openly carry loaded handguns in public without a permit or firearms safety training.
STATEMENT FROM SHANNON WATTS, FOUNDER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“Thankfully, no one was critically injured in the Kroger incident, but it showed once again that only inches stand between unintentional shootings and unintentional tragedies. The shooting at Kroger should remind lawmakers why we need strong public safety laws in place, which is why Moms Demand Action has repeatedly asked Kroger to rethink its gun policy. Lax gun laws coupled with weak company policies put our children, families and communities at risk. Moms Demand Action will continue to work with corporations and lawmakers to create policies to protect public safety.”
STATEMENT FROM KATHLEEN CHANDLER WRIGHT, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE TENNESSEE CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“We are thankful that this incident was resolved without tragedy—but it does put into perspective why responsible gun ownership and gun laws are critical to public safety—especially in the places we take our children. That is why we are asking Tennessee lawmakers to reject dangerous policies that would allow loaded guns to be carried in sensitive areas across Tennessee and legislation that would dismantle our permitting system and eliminate the firearm safety training requirement.