NASHVILLE, TN — In response to the March 27, 2023 Covenant School shooting and the increasing gun violence epidemic, Metro Council Public Health & Safety Committee Chair Jeff Syracuse will lead a series of school safety and gun violence epidemic meetings to help strengthen the Nashville community and find solutions to reduce gun violence. “As Nashville continues to grieve the loss of innocent children, teachers, and staff, I am reminded that this is not the only mass shooting our community has experienced. We must thoughtfully focus our efforts on ensuring our schools are safe and supported, and examine gun violence as the public health epidemic that it is. I’m thankful to our Metro leadership and other organizations for engaging with Metro Council to guide us towards a robust platform of advocacy and action.” This meeting series will be broadcast and recorded by the Metro Nashville Network (MNN) and members of the public are encouraged to attend.
• Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. – Council Chambers, Historic Metro Courthouse
Special Metro Council Public Health & Safety Committee meeting Co-Hosted with Education Committee Chair Zulfat Suara focusing on school safety with MNPD, MNPS, and the Nashville Fire Department, plus gun safety legislation updates from State Representatives Bob Freeman and Caleb Hemmer
• Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. – Hillsboro High School Auditorium
Moderated panel discussion with Daniel Chapin, Founder/President of The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, Moms Demand Action, and Shaundelle Brooks, Co-Founder/President of the Akilah Dasilva Foundation, plus pre- submitted questions from the public
• Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. – Council Chambers, Historic Metro Courthouse
Special Metro Council Public Health & Safety Committee meeting focusing on gun violence as a public health epidemic with the Metro Public Health Department, the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, Metro’s Office of Family Safety, and the Mental Health Cooperative
To facilitate robust discussions throughout this meeting series, members of the public are encouraged to submit questions or comments for any of the three meeting topics ahead of time. Questions or comments from the public for the June 14 meeting must be submitted no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023 and can be submitted through a form on the Metro Council Office homepage under “Quick Links” or at: https://www.nashville.gov/departments/council/webform/safe-schools-and-communities-question-and-comment- form. Please note, not all questions will be selected to be answered, therefore similar questions may be consolidated.
Additional details and the most up to date meeting information can be found on the Metro Council Events Calendar.
