Publication Date
Spring 3-25-2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Department
Social Work, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Scholarship
Faculty Advisor
Jennifer Crowell Thompson
WELL Core Type
Intellectual Wellness
Metadata/Fulltext
Fulltext
SPARK Session
8am-10am
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
TN NASW Day on the Hill Abstract Submission
Belmont University BSW Program
Contributors: Mackenzie Arnold, Breah Forrester, Sophia Horn, Aliya McClarney, Kayla Willmann
Abstract
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in Tennessee, and according to Everytown for Gun Safety, from 2015 to 2023, there were 158 unintentional shootings of children in Tennessee. MaKayla Dyer was one of these children. She was shot by her 11-year-old neighbor who obtained access to a loaded, unsecured firearm he found in his home. He was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to eight years in juvenile prison, while his father, who left the gun out, walks free. Makayla’s Law or House Bill 0167 aims to amend the offense of reckless endangerment, Tennessee Code Title 39, Chapter 13, to specifically include a person’s failure to safely secure or lock a firearm, resulting in a child under 13 gaining possession of the gun and injuring or killing themselves or someone else. MaKayla’s Law acknowledges that it is the gun owners' responsibility to safely secure their firearms, as children are inherently curious and do not yet have the cognitive capacity to consider the consequences of their actions, or the irreparable damage that can be caused by firearms. Research shows that an estimated 30 million children in the United States live in a household with one or more firearms. Out of these households, a staggering 36% of guns are stored unlocked and accessible. The National Social Work Association and our professional values call us to action in the service of vulnerable populations, such as children and youth. We must prioritize a safer Tennessee by holding firearm owners accountable for protecting children’s lives.
Recommended Citation
Arnold, Mackenzie S.; McClarney, Aliya L.; Horn, Sophia F.; Willmann, Kayla R.; and Forrester, Breah, "SPARK Abstract" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 423.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/423
