The number of teens charged with first-time gun possession is on track to be the highest it’s been since 2019. Charges fell during the pandemic, but now show a return to pre-pandemic levels.

More than 100 young people have been charged with first-time handgun possession so far this year. That’s on track with 2019. And a few of those kids were caught bringing guns to their schools.

The juvenile court is keeping a close eye on these numbers — especially because of increased police presence in schools this year after the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

The court says teens find some of these guns in cars around town. And often, those cars are left unlocked.

More: Nashville teens are ‘car hopping’ – trying unlocked car doors to see what they can find. Often, it’s guns.

“Don’t leave your weapon on the console of your car with your car door unlocked with the keys in your car,” Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway says. “That’s when my youth — who are not on the top of their game in their thinking process and literally in the midst of their risk-taking process — are taking a risk.”

More than 1,000 guns have been stolen from cars this year — on track to beat last year’s numbers.

Guns stolen from cars is not a new problem in Nashville, but it has gotten worse. And it’s often blamed on a 2013 law that allowed gun owners to keep their weapons in their vehicles.

But law enforcement and gun control advocates warned that Tennessee’s permitless carry law, which went into effect last year, could exacerbate the problem.