Texas has a major gun violence problem that has gone unaddressed for too long.
in the country—had more than 4,600 gun-related deaths in 2021, and tens of thousands of firearm-related injuries. In terms of deaths, that is the equivalent of another 220 tragedies like the one at Robb Elementary in a single year.
Over the past year, GIFFORDS Center for Violence Intervention spent time on the ground in Uvalde talking with community members and survivors. There are steps that Texas legislators must take to address this serious epidemic and prevent mass shootings like the one at Robb Elementary. First, Texas should adopt extreme risk protection orders, or “red flag laws”, that allow law enforcement or family members to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone if they are at risk to themselves or others. After the Parkland shooting, many states—even Florida, the “Gunshine State”—passed this effective legislation to help prevent future shootings and gun suicides.
Second, Texas should raise the minimum age to purchase long guns to 21-years-old, which it already is for handguns. This is a popular, commonsense proposal. Many Uvalde families have been working with lawmakers in Austin, with some even waitingto testify in support of a bill to do just that. But Texas leaders have failed them — they refused to even schedule a full floor vote.
Additionally, Texas must improve mental health services. Today, it has some of the worst in the country and there is a huge vacuum for treatment in rural communities.
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