Gun safety expert explains Tennessee’s open carry law in detail

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – The mass shooting at a city park in Orange Mound highlighted a problem in Memphis: a lot of people don’t understand what is and is not allowed under Tennessee’s open carry law.

In shocking video after shocking video, young people could be seen walking down the street to a community block party while brandishing giant guns.

”I’ve been in this business for over 40 years. I get anxiety and my law enforcement friends are getting anxiety,” said Bennie Cobb, retired SWAT Team captain with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and owner of Eagle Eye Security and Training Services.

Cobb told Action News 5 that the trend of teens arming themselves to the teeth in public is a troubling one.

“Some of these young people could say they’re exercising their 2A,” he said, “but the gun is most likely stolen if they’re under 18.”

When Governor Bill Lee signed open carry into law, he posted to X: “It shouldn’t be hard for law-abiding Tennesseans to exercise their 2A rights,” with 2A referring to the Second Amendment, which grants Americans the right to bear arms.

In effect since July 1, 2021, Tennessee’s open carry law allows an individual to carry a loaded handgun without a permit. You must be 18 or older, in lawful possession of the gun, and in a place where guns are legally allowed.

Supporters of open carry say the law appeared to be violated in the Orange Mound mass shooting.

”I saw pictures of the guns they were holding,” said Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, “They were not handguns. So, you must be very clear about what we do allow for open carry. It’s a handgun. It’s not an AK-47. It’s not a shotgun. It’s not a long rifle. It’s a handgun. The guns they had at that rally were not open-carry guns.”

Remember the incident where a young man walked through Midtown Memphis with an assault-style rifle last year?

He scared so many people that nearby schools went on lockdown and citizens called the Memphis Police Department to report him. MPD eventually tracked him down at home, and no charges were filed in the case. He admitted to overreacting to a perceived threat to his safety.

Though open carry explicitly covers handguns, other laws already on the books state you can carry a shotgun or rifle, but it must be unloaded and the ammunition cannot be in close proximity to you or your weapon.

The videos are proof, said Cobb. The Wild Wild West has officially arrived in the Mid-South.

“Now the mindset is,” he said, “you approach them with the mindset as if they are armed. Law enforcement is actually doing things differently now. They actually had to be retrained to accept people with guns. Everybody has one.”

Tennessee Republicans tried to pass legislation this session that would change the word “handgun” to “firearm” in the open carry law to allow armed long guns on the street.

But the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security testified that it would cause unnecessary panic, and the effort failed.

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