Charlene Roberts wears necklaces with portraits of her children lost to gun violence Friday, Aug. 4, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn. Roberts' son, Kevin, was killed in 2021 and her daughter, Jessie, in 2019.

In recent years, efforts to enact gun safety measures have floundered in the state. In June, the state Senate rejected a bill that would have required background checks for private gun sales, ...

Two decades ago, only about 20 U.S. researchers were focused on gun violence prevention. Last fall, more then 600 gathered in Washington, D.C., for a national conference on the issue.

Chloe Isom, left, with Rashaad Woods and Denzel Grant, right, of Turn Up Knox along Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. Isom lost two sons to gun violence in ...

Terry Walker-Smith poses for a portrait on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. Walker-Smith lost two children to violence and now works as a gun violence prevention advocate with Turn Up Knox.