‘It’s really disappointing’: Advocates hope to stop the trend after gun found at a MNPS school

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A stolen handgun, an airsoft pistol and marijuana were discovered on the campus of McGavock High School in Donelson Tuesday.

“It’s the hardest part of my job as a pastor,” senior pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church , Frank Stevenson, said. “When I wake up in the morning, I would much rather be doing anything than burying a child.”

It’s a tough reality that Stevenson is faced with — too often. If you visit any cemetery, chances are you’ll find the resting place of a child or two.

“I just did a funeral for a 3-year-old who got hold of his father’s weapon. The remorse that the father and family feel is overwhelming,” Stevenson said. “It makes me very sensitive to remind parents and individuals to secure their weapons. We owe it to our children to do that.”

Inside Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Stevenson has often had to engage in conversations he would rather avoid urging for safe gun storage . This issue became even more pressing when he heard about a teen arrested for having a firearm.

“What they see on TV and social media makes it very familiar to pick up a gun if they see it,” Stevenson told News 2. “We have to go the extra mile to address this.”

One McGavock High School senior is now facing charges in juvenile court after police discovered a stolen handgun in his car during a search prompted by a school official for smoking a vape pen.

“It’s really disappointing and highlights the fact that we still have a lot of work to do,” Stevenson reflected. “This has been a tough time in our city, and when we send our kids to school, we want to ensure their safety. Unfortunately, it feels like the issues from the summer are now spilling over into the school year.”

During the 2021-2022 school year, Metro police discovered 13 guns from public school campuses.

“We now have young people and children who are getting easy access to weapons,” Stevenson said. “They don’t understand the significance of pulling that trigger and ending a life or putting themselves in danger.”

The Metro Police Department has a gun retrieval program that seeks to partner with individuals to create safer households and safer communities thereby reducing trauma and gun violence.

Program partners include:

• Bell Road Baptist Church
• Bethel Church of Nazarene
• Bethel Church of Nazarene
• Change Ministry Church
• The Church at Mt. Carmel
• Galilee Missionary Baptist Church
• Greater Faith Missionary Baptist
• Greater Heights Missionary Baptist Church
• Greater Revelations Missionary Baptist Church
• Greater View Primitive Baptist Church
• Immanuel Nashville
• The Impact Church of Nashville
• Madison Church of Christ
• Mt. Moriah Community Baptist Church
• Nashville Inner City Ministry
• New Hope Baptist Church
• New Jerusalem Baptist Church
• Plaza Mariachi Music City
• The Rock United Ministries
• St. James Missionary Baptist Church

The community can drop off firearms at any of the locations above.

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