MEMPHIS, Tenn — Emotions ran high in Nashville on Monday during the first day of the state's special session on public safety.
Calls for change came after the mass shooting at the Covenant School earlier this year that killed three children and three adults. The tragedy enraged students across the state, sparked walkouts and began demands for action from state leaders.
Making their voices heard in Nashville during the first day of the session were groups like "Moms Demand Action," "Students Demand Action," "The Proud Boys," and anti-gun reform advocates.
Busloads of Memphians arrived to the state capitol with their own ties to gun violence.
"Have some political courage to make these laws — common sense," activist Yolanda Cooper-Sutton said. "I got caught up in a drive-by shooting in May."
Cooper-Sutton said she believes the lack of regulation is "reckless," "senseless" and that it has "plagued" Memphis.
"We are not here to take your guns," she said. "We are here to make common sense laws out of your guns."
Some say such regulation won't prevent all tragedies from happening.
“I’m willing to accept the bad things that happen, the tragic things that happen" Shaun Kranish of the Tennefree organization said. "The alternative is a socialist communist society where hundreds of millions of people can die.”
Still, Kranish said the current safety policies aren’t enough.
“I think it is an absolute crime and a shame that the adults in the school aren’t willing to protect the kids," Kranish said. "That they think that making a phone call or hitting an alarm button or having a locked door or having one officer for 300, 400, 500 kids is protection. ... That’s not protection.”
Protecting kids seems to be the only common ground found at the capital.
Tikeila Rucker of organization Memphis For All made the journey with hundreds of others from the Bluff City.
“We want to see common sense gun laws as it relates to red flag laws — things in place that protect kids and not guns, so that’s why we here to make our voice heard,” Rucker said.
Regina Clarke of the Shelby County Voter's Alliance listened to some lawmakers push for firearms to be allowed inside the capitol.
"They don’t care about our kids," Clarke said. "They don’t care about our people they kept trying to silence people and it is critical that our legislators know from all over the state — that we’re standing up.”
After passing rules for the session the House adjourned Monday evening. They and the state senate are scheduled to pick up discussions again Tuesday morning.