A U.S. federal judge has cleared the path for Tennessee to drop the minimum age to 18, for state residents to carry handguns publicly without a permit.

This happened the same day as 28-year-old Audrey Hale killed three children and three adults at the private Christian school The Covenant School outside of Nashville.

The proposed deal changes to the age requirement for the permit -less carry of handguns in the state has been in motion since 2021.

Two years ago, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee led the initiative to drop the age requirement to 21, but a gun rights group sued after the law was passed, arguing the age limit should be lower. 

In late 2022, the state's top lawyer began negotiations for a settlement.
That deal dropped the age requirement even further, down to 18, and was approved on the same day as the Covenant School attack in Nashville.

Police say when Hale entered the school, they had two "assault-style" weapons and a pistol. 

The shooter had also legally purchased seven firearms from different stores in the Nashville area, the Associated Press reports.

A manifesto and a detailed map of the school were also found by police.

Although Hale was under the care of a doctor for an "emotional disorder," Tennessee has no laws in place allowing authorities to confiscate the weapons purchased by the shooter. 

The state has no "red flag" law, which allows police to take firearms away from people who threaten to kill.

After Monday's school shooting, some doubt whether the state will make changes to its gun laws. 

Before the school shooting, lawmakers had already introduced bills that would allow gun permit carriers to bring weapons to college campuses and allow school staff members to carry a handgun, ABC News reports.

There are also no requirements for background checks or trainings for handgun owners in the state. 

But Tennessee isn't the only U.S. state pushing more relaxed gun laws compared to others.

North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature recently overrode the Democratic governor's veto, allowing residents to buy handguns without a permit, WTOP reports.

Florida's legislature is moving a bill that would allow concealed weapons without a license or required training.

Republican leaders in the state, including the governor, have expressed support for the idea which is closer to reaching the governor’s desk for approval. 

A similar bill is also moving through Nebraska’s state legislature and is supported by the state's governor.

This bill advanced in the legislature one day after the shooting in Nashville, the Nebraska Examiner reports. It needs one more round of debate by state lawmakers and the governor’s signature to become law.

Guns are the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens since 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Gun Violence Archive has also recorded 130 mass shootings this year, the highest number of shootings so far, since at least 2013. 

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