Over 300 protestors joined Students Demand Action at the “Rally for Antioch” on Jan. 27, to call for gun reform following the shooting at Antioch High School on Jan. 23. The rally was held the same day as a special legislative session — called by Governor Bill Lee to address school vouchers and hurricane disaster relief — with the goal of adding gun reform to the docket.

Two local high school students coordinated the protest with support from Vanderbilt’s chapter of SDA and community organizers. Speakers included Representative Gloria Johnson of the “Tennessee Three,” Representative Jason Powell, local activists and high school students. Powell wrote a letter to Lee to expand the session to include the issue of school shootings and gun violence.

On the capitol steps, organizers led attendees through chants, including “not one more,” “the students united will never be divided” and “no justice, no peace.” They also called for the removal of Cameron Sexton — speaker of the state House of Representatives — and Lee. Several other state legislators were in attendance, including State Senators Jeff Yarbro, Heidi Campbell and Charlane Oliver as well as Nashville Council Member At Large Zulfat Suara.

Members of 16-year-old victim Josselin Corea Escalante’s family attended the rally, holding a picture of Escalante. Eliot Watson, a senior at Hume-Fogg High School and one of the organizers of the event, expressed disappointment with state legislators in his speech to the crowd.

“I want to thank every one of you who showed up, [but] the truth is, we shouldn’t have to,” Watson said. “[Our legislators] could make every single school in this state a million times safer. With a flick of a pen, Governor Lee could do this.”

Junior Emma Mann, president of Vanderbilt Students Demand Action, voiced disappointment that Tennessee lawmakers have yet to enact adequate gun control legislation in an email to The Hustler.

“Our generation has grown up in a world where guns are the number one killer of young people and where gun violence is the norm. Our community is again harmed by another school shooting, this time at Antioch High School,” Mann said. “Despite the senseless violence that continues to plague our state, our lawmakers continue to ignore our cries for change.”

Mann noted that although legislators were in a special session during the rally, they failed to discuss how to prevent future gun violence. She plans to continue to advocate for gun reform during the upcoming session.

As state legislators — including Representatives Jeremy Faison and Johnny Garrett — exited the capitol building, protestors shouted at them and chanted, urging them to push for gun reform.

Local activist Jermaine Cole addressed the crowd, leading them to chant “enough is enough.”

“We’re tired of being tired,” Cole said. “I’m tired of going to memorials, vigils and funerals for people who died to gun violence because of the inaction of these people in the state capitol.”

Vanderbilt junior Zach Silver attended the rally and expressed frustration with the frequency of mass shootings in the U.S.

“I’m tired of gun violence in schools, synagogues and so many other parts of public life, and I want to be a part of the solution, so that people can feel safe,” Silver said. “School shootings aren’t something young people should ever have to worry about.”

The rally ended with organizers encouraging attendees to enter the capitol if they wished to watch the special session. However, security informed protestors that the meeting had been moved to another location.

Bella Seaton, a Vanderbilt first-year, attended McGavock High School — approximately 20 miles away from Antioch High School. She said she was shocked to hear of the shooting on Jan. 23, especially after she attended a rally for The Covenant School less than two years ago.

“The rally itself was incredibly moving. A lot of young people from Antioch spoke out with so much courage, and their words were incredibly powerful,” Seaton said. “It’s clear how deeply this has impacted them and their community.”

Seaton also expressed concern for her two sisters who currently attend McGavock.  

“I was deeply worried for their safety, especially knowing that acts of violence like this often lead to more,” Seaton said. “That fear became even more real when McGavock had its own gun threat the very next day. Thankfully, it was stopped before anyone could get hurt, but the whole situation was terrifying.”

Anne Phetmany, also a first-year, went to Cane Ridge High School — located approximately two and a half miles away from Antioch High School on the same street. Phetmany echoed Seaton’s sentiment, expressing pain for the loss of a community member so close to her home. She also shared instances in which weapons had been found at her own high school and were met with little response from the district.

“I believe protesting is a quintessential representation of using our voices to enact change in our communities,” Phetmany said in a message to The Hustler. “I wanted to be a part of the movement as the shooting has impacted many of my loved ones in the community. We should ensure that kids feel safe going into an environment meant for learning, not harming.”

This story was originally published on The Vanderbilt Hustler on January 29, 2025.