Tennessee House Speaker blames Senate inaction during special session for death of Belmont student. The Senate disagrees.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton says the Senate’s refusal to pass mental health legislation during special session played a factor in the fatal shooting of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig. Senators on both sides of the aisle refute the claim and look to pass laws to prevent future tragedies.

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Ludwig, 18, was killed earlier this month by a stray bullet allegedly shot by Shaquille Taylor. Taylor was found incompetent to stand trial in April on an aggravated assault charge. Now, many are wondering how he was able to obtain a gun.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro represents the district Belmont is in. He believes the state’s loose gun laws are to blame.

“It was just perfectly legal for him to purchase a firearm and to possess one and that is a glaring defect in Tennessee law that should be fixed,” Yarbro said.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton appeared on SuperTalk 99.7 and put the blame on the Senate’s inaction during the special session on public safety in August.

“And if we would have passed that in special session with the changes that General Funk was proposing, this individual in September would have probably been involuntary committed, and this incident never would have happened,” Sexton said.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk wants the General Assembly to pass a law that would change the requirements for involuntary commitment.

In a statement, Senate Speaker Randy McNally said “no action proposed by either house of the General Assembly in the special session would have prevented the death of Jillian Ludwig.”

The General Assembly could pass laws around involuntary commitment when it start its next session on Jan. 9.