A trio of Democrats is losing their committee assignments in the Tennessee House after they took part in storming the state capitol building last week as part of an anti-gun protest.
The state lawmakers “were pulled from their committee assignments and could face expulsion from the legislature after they participated in storming the state Capitol during a protest against guns following last week’s school shooting,” Fox News reported.
Tennessee House Republicans voted Monday to strip committee assignments from state Reps. Justin Jones, Justin J. Pearson, and Gloria Johnson reported WPLN.
The Democrats joined with anti-gun demonstrators in their march on the Capitol last week following the tragic shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. A 28-year-old transgender who was biologically female was responsible for the attack, which resulted in the loss of six people, three of whom were nine-year-old students.
“Just handed this on the House floor, but they still have to vote,” Jones noted in a tweet after he got the resolution for potential expulsion from the Tennessee House. “We’ll not be intimidated. THE PEOPLE are demanding we act to stop kids from being murdered in school.”
Republican Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton said in a tweet that his Democratic colleagues’ behavior was “unacceptable.”
“Their actions are and will always be unacceptable, and they break several rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor,” he said. “Their actions and beliefs that they could be arrested on the House floor were an effort, unfortunately, to make themselves the victims. In effect, those actions took away the voices of the protestors, the focus on the six victims who lost their lives, and the families who lost their loved ones.”
https://twitter.com/Old_SchoolEddie/status/1643264203090804736?s=20
Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, were killed in the shooting along with the head of school Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and custodian Mike Hill, 61, Fox News noted.
Supporters of the decision to potentially expel the lawmakers compared their behavior to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building, which Democrats and most media outlets have characterized as an “insurrection.”
Thousands of protesters stormed the Tennessee State Capitol on Thursday to protest and face lawmakers after they began the legislative session at 9 a.m., previous reports noted.
“Parents with their children and other community members said they’re rallying to support stricter gun control in the wake of the Covenant School shooting that left six people dead, including three children and three adults,” local outlet WKRN reported. “The group of protestors reportedly outnumber the available seats in the Capitol rotunda. The group filled the hallways and steps of the Capitol building.”
“We’re here because we still believe that we can make change. We can. It’s a tough state, I get it,” said the organizer Maryam Abolfazli, a “simple mama” who said she refuses to accept “irrational policy making.”
Several of the protesters could be heard shouting: “Stand up, stand up for your rights.”
🚨BREAKING: Gun-control Lefitsts STORM Tennessee Capitol, politicize anti-Christian Nashville shooting
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 30, 2023
A former teammate of the shooter revealed last week that she received a cryptic message from the suspect before the killings.
In an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon on Monday, Averianna Patton, a former basketball teammate of the alleged shooter Audrey Hale, explained that she received the cryptic message on Instagram.
Patton said she received the message at 9:57 a.m. and sent a screenshot of the message to her dad at 10:08 a.m. when he said she should call a suicide prevention hotline.
At 10:13 a.m., Patton phoned the Nashville Davidson County Sherriff’s Office and then called the non-emergency line at 10:14 a.m.
“I just couldn’t believe it like I know that I did, I tried to reach out, you know, not even knowing that it was her. I just didn’t don’t know,” Patton told CNN.
“So basically, that post I made on here about you, that was basically a suicide note. I’m planning to die today,” Hale, going by the name Aiden, said to Patton on Instagram.
“THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!” Hale said. “You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die.”
“This is my last goodbye. I love you … See you again in another life.” She said, signing it “Audrey (Aiden).”
“Audrey! You have so much more life to live. I pray God keeps and covers you,” Patton responded.
“I know but I don’t want to live. I’m so sorry. I’m not trying to upset you or get your attention. I just need to die. I wanted to tell you first because you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and known all my life,” Hale said.
“My family doesn’t know what I’m about to do. One day this will make more sense. I’ve left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen,” Hale said.
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