How old is Justin Pearson? All about the expulsion of Tennessee Democrats after gun control protest

On Thursday, April 6, 29-year-old Tennessee Democrat Justin Pearson was expelled along with two other Democrats for participating in a gun control protest outside the House of Representatives. The protest occurred in the wake of the Nashville mass shooting, which left three nine-year-olds and three adults dead.

Pearson and his cohorts have argued that inaction on gun control is to blame for the spate of mass shootings across the country.

Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Justin Pearson is known for speaking out against police brutality, environmental exploitation, racism, and lax gun laws. National Public Radio reported that he was sworn into office at age 28, making him the second youngest lawmaker sworn into the Tennessee House of Representatives.

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Justin Pearson and Justin Jones' role in the protests

In an interview with ABC News, Justin Pearson claimed that the protest was necessary, as he and his Democratic colleagues have never been permitted to speak out on gun laws in the past.

Along with Gloria Johnson, Justin Pearson and Justin Jones entered the house floor with a bullhorn, claiming that Republicans were not dealing with the root of the gun violence issue. Pearson said that he believed protest was a right, and that he never imagined he and his colleagues could get expelled.

As per CNN, after the expulsions, the trio were referred to by media sources as the 'Tennessee Three'. Democrats referred to the expulsions as an attack on democracy, claiming that Republicans had overstepped their reach by ousting representatives over a peaceful protest.

Joe Biden, the president of the United States, said that the Tennessee GOP should focus on dealing with the Nashville shooting, rather than conducting political moves against their rivals.

Biden said:

"Three kids and three officials gunned down in yet another mass shooting. And what are GOP officials focused on? Punishing lawmakers who joined thousands of peaceful protesters calling for action. It's shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent."

Cameron Sexton, Speaker of The Tennessee House of Representatives, was firm about his decision to expel Justin Pearson and Justin Jones. According to the New York Times, he likened the protests to the January 2021 Capitol Hill attack.

He argued that rather than attempting to solve the issue of gun violence, the "Tennessee Three" were trying to further their own political agenda.

The members of the Tennessee Three, on the other hand, argued that the protest was nothing more than an excuse for Sexton and his supporters to oust outspoken detractors.

Gloria Johnson, who is white, said that she was most likely not expelled like Pearson and Jones because of her ethnicity. Pearson also argued that the Tennesee GOP was bolstering a 'white-supremacist' agenda.