TN expands testing, data collection in mass shooting cases

There are still more questions than answers after a mass shooting — and Tennessee lawmakers this week moved to make sure one of those questions is studied more closely.

The General Assembly has approved a bill that would allow investigators to gather drug-screening evidence from suspected mass shooters, part of a broader push to examine whether psychotropic medications, other substances, or combinations of drugs may have any connection to these crimes. The issue is certain to spark debate, especially because the legislation also comes on the heels of a 2025 law requiring testing for psychotropic drugs and gender-altering medications in deceased mass shooters.