Statement from Texas Gun Owners for Safety After the Latest Shooting in Texas

Texas is reeling from gun violence—with 7 people killed and 22 others injured, including a 17-month-old baby girl, by a white male who went on a rampage with an AR-type assault rifle.  This is terribly saddening and enraging when you consider that Texas' gun laws—despite all the previous killings—are going in the opposite direction of where they need to be going and that you can read about here.  As you can read about here, many in Texas are rightfully outraged about this.  

The Giffords Law Center just put out this press release today in the wake of yesterday's Midland-Odessa shooting.  It's not like we do not have options.  
We totally do, including requiring universal background checks, red flag laws, and safe storage laws and others that can surely achieve bi-partisan support.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected.  And many thanks to the Giffords Law Center for their potentially life-saving work if our lawmakers will only do something about this.  What could be more urgent?

-Angela Valenzuela

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 1, 2019
CONTACT: Jason Phelps, jphelps@giffords.org

Statement from Texas Gun Owners for Safety After the Latest Shooting 

in Texas  

Washington, DC — Seven people are dead and 22 injured after a shooting that spanned multiple locations in Midland and Odessa. The shooting occurred just four weeks after a gunman killed 22 people in a mass shooting in El Paso. 

Download report HERE

Statements from members of Texas Gun Owners for Safety: 

“Twelve days ago a group of Texas Gun Owners for Safety gathered with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in Austin to address our concerns about escalating gun violence,” said Jane Mumey. “We made a commitment to our state and each other to work towards common sense gun regulations that preserve 2nd Amendment rights. Yesterday, we saw another mass shooting unfold. The state of Texas is facing a public health and safety crisis. We will not let this event pass without action from our members. We ask the public to contact their legislators and ask them to immediately support universal background checks and safe storage legislation.”

“Once again our state has been terrorized by gun violence,” said David Dunn. “This isn't what responsible gun ownership looks like, and we must make changes. Texas can immediately take steps to make us all safer and that should happen tomorrow.” 

Texas Gun Owners for Safety was launched at a recent roundtable in Austin, Texas when a coalition of Texas hunters, sport shooters, and collectors came together to declare they will advocate for commonsense gun violence prevention laws and promote safe and responsible gun ownership. Members of the new group also shared their personal stories about getting involved and why they believe in both the Second Amendment and stronger gun laws. 

During the inaugural meeting, the Texas Gun Owners for Safety discussed their mission, priorities, and the policies they will support and call on lawmakers to pass at the state and federal level. Giffords has helped launch similar groups this year in Minnesota and Colorado to help amplify the voices of the many gun owners who support commonsense laws such as background checks for every gun sale. 

Giffords Law Center recently unveiled a new report highlighting the devastation wrought by gun violence in the state.Gun Laws and Violence in Texas details why Texas has become a place where someone is killed by a gun every three hours and provides a detailed blueprint on what laws the state could pass to save lives. Without action, this crisis is only expected to get worse. As the report notes, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the state’s gun murder death rate has increased every year since 2014.  

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Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.