NASHVILLE, TN — Lawmakers discussed a bill Tuesday that would allow a gun owner to be charged with a felony for leaving a loaded gun accessible to children, reports WSMV.
The bill is being called “McKayla’s Law,” which is named after 8-year-old McKayla Dyer.
Dyer was shot and killed in East Tennessee last year. Police said the 11-year-old boy who shot Dyer with her father’s shotgun was angry over a dispute about puppies.
Dyer’s mother, Tasha Patterson, is expected to testify about the bill, which would make it a felony to leave a loaded gun around children 13 or younger if the gun’s discharge results in injury or death.
The 11-year-old who shot Dyer is now in state custody, but his father, who left the gun in plain sight, is not facing any charges.
“McKayla’s Law,” or Senate Bill 2294, will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday afternoon.
