In a move following the tragic shooting at Antioch High School, a bill that aims to make the juvenile records of deceased school shooters public was passed in the Tennessee House on Monday. The legislation received bipartisan support, signaling a significant shift in how such cases will be handled in the future.
Under current law in Tennessee, juvenile records, including law enforcement and court records, are kept confidential to protect the future of youth offenders. However, this new bill would change that for minors who commit school shootings and die as a result.
The law would unseal juvenile records relating to court proceedings, mental health issues, and interactions with the Department of Children’s Services if a minor commits a school shooting. Notably, the bill does not require a homicide conviction for the records to be made public.
House Bill 1038 passed with strong bipartisan backing, winning with a vote of 88 to 4. However, several Democrats voted against it, including Reps. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville. Two other Democrats, Reps. Shaundelle Brooks and Justin Jones, both of Nashville, voted present.
The bill was introduced by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, as a response to the fatal Antioch shooting. A 17-year-old shooter opened fire in the school cafeteria, killing 16-year-old student Josselin Corea Escalante and injuring another student. Lamberth’s response was driven by a desire to ensure that everyone in the state is aware of the background of any juvenile who commits such a violent act, especially after the death of their victim.
Lamberth expressed the importance of this legislation, saying, “There is a very disturbed and evil young man that went into a high school in Davidson County and shot and killed a sweet young lady who was there just to learn.” He continued by stating that if a juvenile takes a life in a school, their history should be made public so that everyone can understand what led to such a tragic event.
Two months before the Antioch shooting, the shooter had allegedly threatened another student with a box cutter. The case was set to go to Davidson County Juvenile Court, but the other student’s family ultimately chose not to press charges. Lamberth believes that such a history should be public in order to prevent future tragedies and provide policymakers with the necessary information to stop similar incidents from occurring.
Lamberth argued, “That child never should have had a gun. That child never should have had a gun in school. That child never should have been in that school based on their history.” He believes that making these records public will open up an important conversation on how to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The bill, originally backed by the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, initially proposed a central system to manage juvenile court records across the state. This version of the bill has already passed the Senate, but it did not include the provision for making school shooter records public.
The current version of the bill, which now includes this provision, will go back to the Senate for further consideration. Senate lawmakers will either agree to the changes made by the House or send the bill to a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the two chambers.
During the debate, Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, raised concerns about whether the deceased juvenile shooter’s records should be made public without a conviction. In response, Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, explained, “The person is dead because they committed a deadly crime inside the school.” He went on to say that the shooting and the resulting death meant that the juvenile’s records should be made available to the public to provide transparency and understanding.
This bill is part of an ongoing effort to make sure that juvenile records are handled in a way that reflects the seriousness of violent actions while also providing the public with the information they need to understand what happened and why.
Lamberth had previously attempted to introduce a similar amendment to another bill, which was eventually put aside in favor of addressing it as part of the state budget.
As the legislation moves forward, it will be closely watched by those advocating for transparency in cases involving school shootings and juvenile offenders, as well as those concerned about privacy and the long-term impact of public records on the individuals involved.
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