National

The U.S. continues to grapple with devastating mass shootings, with dozens killed as a result in March alone, per data from the Gun Violence Archive.

By the numbers: At least 57 people have died in 38 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this month, with another 133 injured.

130 mass shootings have taken place in 2023 so far, per the archive, meaning there have been more mass shootings than days this year.

Context: The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a situation in which at least four people are shot and either injured or killed, not including the shooter.

State of play: Six people, including three children, were killed in a school shooting in Nashville on Monday. The alleged shooter was shot and killed by police.

The big picture: In the wake of Monday's recent shooting, lawmakers are renewing calls for gun control as, along with the rest of the nation, they reckon with how to curb the alarming rate of gun violence.

After the Nashville school shooting, President Biden said: "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping at the very soul of the nation."

"So I call on Congress, again, to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time that we began to make some more progress," Biden said.

Go deeper: 1 in 5 Americans have experience with gun violence: Poll

killed in a shooting at a Nashville school

At least 57 killed, 133 injured in 38 U.S. mass shootings this month

There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023 so far.

Police work near the scene of a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, in Nashville, Tenn. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Mass shootings

The U.S. continues to grapple with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="devastating mass shootings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/27/three-children-two-adults-dead-after-shooting-at-nashville-school" data-vars-content-id="1f18fcdd-ca17-4a3b-8728-fe0548a3042f" data-vars-headline="At least 57 killed, 133 injured in 38 U.S. mass shootings this month" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/27/three-children-two-adults-dead-after-shooting-at-nashville-school" target="_self">devastating mass shootings</a>, with dozens killed as a result in March alone, per data from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gun Violence Archive" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting?page=1" data-vars-content-id="1f18fcdd-ca17-4a3b-8728-fe0548a3042f" data-vars-headline="At least 57 killed, 133 injured in 38 U.S. mass shootings this month" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting?page=1" target="_blank">Gun Violence Archive</a>.By the numbers: At least 57 people have died in 38 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this month, with another 133 injured.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Florida's Republican-supermajority Legislature advanced a bill Thursday that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without licenses, additional training or background checks.

Where it stands: The bill will go to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has indicated that he'll sign it.

"A constitutional right should not require a permission slip from the government," the governor said during an address to the state Legislature earlier this month. "It is time we joined 25 other states to enact constitutional carry in the state of Florida."

Details: The measure would allow Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training.

Under current law, residents must undergo firearms training, clear a background check and pay fees when applying for a concealed-carry license.

With the new bill, a person will be allowed to carry a concealed weapon without a license if they meet the current requirements needed to obtain a license, including not having been convicted of a felony or found guilty of a crime relating to controlled substances within a three-year period, Axios' Martin Vassolo reports.

The big picture: About half of the U.S. states already have some form of a permitless carry law. 

Florida would become the 26th if DeSantis signs the bill. Per the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, other states where permitless concealed carry is legal include:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota (for residents only), Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Of note: March for Our Lives, a youth-led organization seeking to end gun violence, protested the bill outside the State Capitol last week.

Florida to become 26th state allowing permitless carry of concealed guns

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to sign the bill.

A customer shops for a handgun at WEX Gunworks store on Jan. 31 in Delray Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida

Florida&#x27;s Republican-supermajority Legislature advanced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a bill" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/31/florida-concealed-carry-guns-weapons" data-vars-content-id="48d7f022-126e-4635-89c3-3dea03f9cd27" data-vars-headline="Florida to become 26th state allowing permitless carry of concealed guns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/31/florida-concealed-carry-guns-weapons" target="_self">a bill</a> Thursday that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without licenses, additional training or background checks.Where it stands: The bill will go to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="has indicated" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2022/05/02/desantis-pushes-for-open-carry-law" data-vars-content-id="48d7f022-126e-4635-89c3-3dea03f9cd27" data-vars-headline="Florida to become 26th state allowing permitless carry of concealed guns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2022/05/02/desantis-pushes-for-open-carry-law" target="_self">has indicated</a> that he&#x27;ll sign it.

Six people, including three children, were killed in a shooting at a Nashville school on Monday, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The big picture: The suspect was shot and killed by police and has been identified as a 28-year-old former student of The Covenant School, where the shooting took place, the department said.

Police released video from the incident on Monday night, noting that the suspect began shooting into the building while armed with two "assault-type guns and a 9 millimeter pistol."

The MNPD in a statement late Monday called the attack "calculated and planned."

Officers responded to a call of shots fired at the school at 10:13am local time Monday. 

A "team of five immediately within the school went to where gunshots were being heard and engaged the suspect," Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said during a news briefing. 

The shooter entered the school through a side entrance and went from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots, police spokesperson Don Aaron said.

The suspect fired through a window at arriving police cars, the MNPD said in its statement late Monday.

Two of the officers opened fire on the shooter and fatally wounded the suspect, police said. The officers have been identified as Rex Engelbert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran.

By 10:27 am, the shooter had been confirmed dead, making the police response time about 14 minutes.

A screenshot of a Nashville police tweet  on the school shooting stating, "As officers responded to the Covenant campus, Hale fired on arriving police vehicles from a 2nd story window."

Photo: Metro Nashville Police Department/Twitter

What we know about the victims and the school

Three adult staff members and three children were killed in the shooting. 

The victims were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all age 9; and Cynthia Peak, 61, Mike Hill, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60, who was the head of school.

The Covenant School is a private school that was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church. It serves children in grades preschool through sixth grade.

The victims appear to be chosen at random, per Drake.

The police chief told CBS that police "strongly believe" other targets were possible "including maybe family members and one of the malls here in Nashville."

Police identified the suspect as Audrey Hale, of Nashville. 

Drake said Hale had drawn detailed maps of the school, including of surveillance and entry points. "We know and believe entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors," he added.

"We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we're going over that pertain to this date," the police chief said at an afternoon news conference. "We have a map drawn out of how this was all gonna take place."

Investigators have not yet determined a specific motive, Drake said Tuesday, though the school, which Hale attended, was intentionally targeted. 

Hale was being treated by a doctor for "an emotional disorder," the police chief said Tuesday.

In response to a reporter's question, police confirmed Hale identified as transgender but provided no further details on it at the press conference. Police later said Hale was a biological female but had a social media account with male pronouns.

Drake told reporters Tuesday that Hale had legally purchased seven guns from local gun stores. Three of the weapons were found at The Covenant School.

The police chief said Hale's parents did not think Hale should own weapons and were only aware of one of the firearms, which they thought had been sold.

But Hale had hidden the firearms around the house, Drake said.

President Biden who later spoke with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) and Nashville Mayor John Cooper (D) about the shooting, described the incident as "heartbreaking" during a briefing Monday.

"It's ripping our communities apart, ripping at the very soul of the nation," he said.

"We have to do more to protect our schools so they aren't turned into prisons," Biden added. "So I call on Congress, again, to pass my assault weapons ban."

Meanwhile, the school issued a statement on Monday night saying the community was heartbroken.

"We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church," the statement added.

"We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing."

The school said it was grateful to first responders "who acted quickly to protect our students, faculty and staff," and appreciated the support it received as it continued to "prioritize the well-being of our community."

Photo: Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)/Twitter

Go deeper: At least 57 killed, 133 injured in 38 U.S. mass shootings this month

Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout. Axios' Adam Tamburin contributed to this report.

Three adult staff members and three children

What we know about the Nashville school shooting

The alleged shooter was a 28-year-old Nashville woman, police said.

School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. Photo: Seth Herald/Getty Images

Nashville

Congress mulls TSA no-fly list after spike in unruly passengers

Cases requiring investigation were 470% higher last year than before the pandemic.

Illustration of an airplane on a runway shaped like a "no" symbol.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

After nearly 2,500 reports of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unruly passengers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/10/05/unruly-passenger-incidents-rising-faa" data-vars-content-id="c420f1ce-ab54-4ec9-949b-dd9bf9850591" data-vars-headline="Congress mulls TSA no-fly list after spike in unruly passengers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/10/05/unruly-passenger-incidents-rising-faa" target="_self">unruly passengers</a> on flights last year, Congress is considering a new no-fly list.Driving the news: Senate and House members proposed legislation Wednesday that would allow the Transportation Security Administration to ban people convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crews.

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

West Virginia became the latest state to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth after Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed the legislation into law on Wednesday, per AP.

The big picture: At least 10 other states have enacted restrictions on gender-affirming treatments for minors even though major medical groups consider this type of care medically necessary and potentially lifesaving for trans youth.

Details: The law, which will take effect January 2024, bans health care providers from prescribing hormone therapy and puberty blockers to those under 18, per AP. Minors will also not be allowed to receive gender-affirming surgeries.

Yes, but: A late-night amendment proposed by state Sen. Tom Takubo (R), who is a pulmonologist, allows youth to access puberty blockers and hormone therapy if they receive parental consent and are diagnosed with severe gender dysphoria by two doctors, the Mountain State Spotlight notes.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Kentucky on Wednesday voted to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of a bill prohibiting gender-affirming medical care.

Zoom out: State lawmakers in 2023 have introduced over 100 pieces of legislation focused on banning aspects of gender-affirming medical care, per data from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Worth noting: Proponents of laws restricting gender-affirming care have characterized it as "harmful" and "experimental" medical procedures, but medical experts and LGBTQ advocates say politicians shouldn't be the ones making these decisions.

86% of trans and nonbinary youth say that debate around state restrictions on LGBTQ  rights has negatively impacted their mental health, according to a poll by The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth.

What to watch: Efforts to limit gender-affirming care starting to expand beyond the realm of adolescent health, with GOP lawmakers in states including Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas introducing bills that would prohibit gender-affirming care for people as old as 26.

gender-affirming care for transgender youth

Kentucky, West Virginia latest states to step up anti-trans push

W.V. moved to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth and Kentucky GOP lawmakers voted to override the Dem governor's bill veto.

Photo of Jim Justice clapping as he stands against the image of an American flag

Jim Justice, governor of West Virginia, applauds on stage before participating in a discussion on tax reform in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia on April 5, 2018. Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Transgender

West Virginia became the latest state to ban <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gender-affirming care for transgender youth" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/03/gender-affirming-care-trans-youth-us" data-vars-content-id="fd50f660-7270-49fd-9767-8c004a6755a7" data-vars-headline="Kentucky, West Virginia latest states to step up anti-trans push" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/03/gender-affirming-care-trans-youth-us" target="_self">gender-affirming care for transgender youth</a> after Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed the legislation into law on Wednesday, per AP.The big picture: At least <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="10 other states" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/18/gender-affirming-health-care-bans-transgender-lgbt" data-vars-content-id="fd50f660-7270-49fd-9767-8c004a6755a7" data-vars-headline="Kentucky, West Virginia latest states to step up anti-trans push" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/18/gender-affirming-health-care-bans-transgender-lgbt" target="_self">10 other states</a> have enacted restrictions on gender-affirming treatments for minors even though major medical groups consider this type of care medically necessary and potentially lifesaving for trans youth.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Sareen Habeshian

Stories

Florida to become 26th state allowing permitless carry of concealed guns

Kentucky, West Virginia latest states to step up anti-trans push

Congress mulls TSA no-fly list after spike in unruly passengers

What we know about the Nashville school shooting

At least 57 killed, 133 injured in 38 U.S. mass shootings this month