Updated: December 16, 2017

THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION RELEASED A REPORT THURSDAY DETAILING THE NATURE AND VOLUME OF REPORTED FIREARM RELATED CRIME ACROSS THE STATE OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD.  THE REPORT, WHICH UTILIZED DATA SUBMITTED BY THE STATE'S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES,  SHOW THAT FIRE ARM RELATED CRIMINAL OFFENSES INCREASED 24.8 PERCENT, THE NUMBER OF REPORTED MURDERS INVOLVING A FIREARM INCREASED BY 54.7 PERCENT, AND MALES WERE NINE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN FIREARM-RELATED CRIMINAL OFFENSES THAN FEMALES.  TBI DIRECTOR MARK GWYN ADVISED HE IS DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH THE FINDINGS IN THAT INCREASE POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUTS AN ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON TENNESSEE'S LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES.