Brian Haas

bhaas@tennessean.com

The man known as the "Radnor Lake Rambo" is back at it again, this time parading around Vanderbilt University and Hillsboro High School with a rifle and Second Amendment pamphlets.

Leonard Embody, 42, is well-known in the Nashville area for his provocative actions on gun rights. He's been stopped by police multiple times for walking around with guns in public and recently beat the rap on a charge he illegally possessed a silencer while walking armed downtown.

On Wednesday, Embody was spotted walking around the Vanderbilt University campus before moving on to Hillsboro High School, prompting calls to police from concerned passers-by. Though police didn't stop him, Embody has posted videos in recent weeks of being detained briefly by police in Gallatin and on Vanderbilt's campus.

"There are hundreds of millions of guns in the U.S. The number of guns which are used in illegal fashion is minuscule. I will continue to open carry and hand out my leaflets," Embody said Thursday. "I'm used to the cops tailing me. Yesterday there were probably 10 cop cars following me around Vanderbilt. The Hillsboro High School response took longer, probably due to traffic, and there was less of a presence."

But his actions drew fire from the Tennessee Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a group dedicated to strengthening gun laws.

"As moms we don't want armed individuals playing politics with our children, especially in the sanctity of their schools," said Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, head of the Tennessee Chapter. "When we drop our children at school, moms and teachers need to know when our kids will be learning math and science, not wondering whether they should duck and cover when confronted by a stranger carrying a firearm."

Embody is accustomed to causing a stir by walking around in public with firearms and has filed multiple lawsuits against police departments that have detained him. His actions have been costly, though. He lost his first concealed-weapons permit and then his financial health after he said he was bankrupted fighting the silencer charge.

But police appear to be less willing to take the bait in recent weeks.

"I think the word must be getting around that what I do is legal," Embody said.

Reach Brian Haas at 615-726-8968 and on Twitter @brianhaas.