Tennessee preschool teacher charged with bringing gun to school, threatening colleague

A Nashville, Tennessee preschool teacher is charged with bringing a gun to school and threatening one of her colleagues, police said. 

Sheneca Cowart, 29, is charged with assault, threat of mass violence, and two counts of carrying a weapon onto school property, Nashville police said. 

The preschool, The Academy of McCrory Lane, is located on Newsome Station Road. Witnesses alleged that Cowart threatened to retrieve a firearm and threatened another teacher and the school after an apparent argument, police said. 

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Rapid School Safety Team Officers arrested Cowart on Thursday. Officers recovered a firearm from Cowart’s purse and a second firearm in the driver’s side door of her vehicle. 

Cowart is being held in lieu of $37,000 bond, police said. 

Cowart’s arrest came a week after Republican lawmakers in the state advanced a proposal that would allow some teachers to carry handguns in public schools. 

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 26-5 to pass Senate Bill 1325, which allows a teacher or faculty member that meets certain requirements to possess and carry a handgun or firearm on school grounds.

In order to carry a handgun, they must have a handgun carry permit, have written authorization from both the school's principal and local law enforcement and undergo 40 hours of handgun training. The worker must also not be prohibited from purchasing, possessing, and carrying a handgun under the laws of Tennessee or federal law as determined by a background check.