GUNS IN TEXAS

Numerous vigils and memorials were planned in Uvalde to mark one year since the Robb Elementary School shooting. In what became the deadliest school shooting in Texas, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 others.

Wednesday marks exactly a year since a mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde. The community continues to grapple with the trauma and pain, and for those who lost someone that day, they’re determined to keep the memories of their loved ones alive.

The idea appeared to die in the Texas House over the weekend, but senators kept it alive by grafting the proposal on to another piece of legislation.

Emotions often ran high over a proposal to limit young adults’ access to some firearms. Lawmakers have largely prioritized school safety measures, but there was still progress for some gun-related legislation.

The film, “After Uvalde: Guns, Grief and Texas Politics,” will be broadcast nationally on PBS and also available for streaming.

Evadulia Orta’s son, Rojélio Torres, died in the school shooting in Uvalde last year. Her other children still collect Pokémon cards to add to his collection, and his cousins play with his football.

Texas still lags nationally when it comes to mental health services and there have been seven mass shootings since Abbott took office in 2015.

The rate of firearm-related deaths in Texas has reached a level not seen since the 1990s. Texas lawmakers have approved more than 100 bills that loosened gun restrictions since 2000.

A day after a committee unexpectedly advanced a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles, the legislation faces another make-or-break deadline.

Local, state and federal authorities say they are trying to determine a motive behind the fatal shooting of eight people in North Texas on Saturday.

Texas authorities released the names of the eight victims killed this weekend. Their ages range from 3 to 37.

The legislation would raise the minimum age for purchasing certain firearms but likely wouldn’t have been a hindrance to the Allen gunman obtaining a weapon. The bill still faces an uphill climb in the Legislature.

After mall shooting, residents of the Dallas suburb are experiencing familiar rituals: mourning, anger and despair.

Texas has seen nine mass shootings over the last 14 years while lawmakers have steadily loosened restrictions on carrying firearms.

The shooter was also killed by a police officer after he opened fire in Allen. Gov. Greg Abbott called the shooting “an unspeakable tragedy.”

The University of Texas survey also found stronger support for Sen. Ted Cruz, while Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis remain popular among Republicans.

During a Texas Tribune event marking one year since the shooting at Robb Elementary School, parents, mental health experts and faith leaders talked about how the path to recovery isn’t the same for everybody.

The families of Uvalde shooting victims waited hours to testify at a House committee hearing in support of House Bill 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21.

The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles.

Many bills that would limit access to firearms or ammunition likely won’t become law anytime soon. But people who advocate at the Texas Capitol see emerging signs that there’s appetite for finding some middle ground.

Sen. Joan Huffman said the bill was in response to increased violent crime since 2019. Legislative researchers could not determine how the bill would affect the state’s prison population.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the weapon used by the school shooter in Uvalde and new details that highlight how fear of the gun contributed to the botched police response.

In previously unreleased interviews, police who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting told investigators they were cowed by the shooter’s military-style rifle. This drove their decision to wait for a Border Patrol SWAT team to engage him, which took more than an hour.

Under Senate Bill 23, all felonies involving a gun would incur a mandatory 10-year prison sentence. It’s meant to curb crime, despite the lack of correlation between harsher sentences and crime rates.

Gun policy reform is the best way to address school safety, according to experts on a panel in Austin. They also cautioned against doubling down on surveillance technology.

In its first bill passed this session, the Texas Senate sought to ensure juvenile mental health hospitalizations are reported to the federal firearm background check system.

The incident comes as lawmakers debate how to make schools safer after the Uvalde massacre and favor measures like arming more educators.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives amended a rule that classifies guns with “stabilized braces” as rifles, which are subject to different regulations, triggering the objection of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gun Owners of America.

Advocates for domestic violence victims were stunned by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which continued a string of court decisions citing the Second Amendment to erase gun restrictions.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat, introduced a package of legislation that includes a bill that would end qualified immunity, which shields government officials from liability for constitutional violations.

A federal judge ruled earlier this year that a state law banning young adults from publicly carrying handguns is unconstitutional. The state no longer plans to appeal that ruling.

The lawsuit accuses Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the shooter’s weapon, of marketing that primes “young buyers to purchase AR-15-style rifles as soon as they are legally able.”

U.S. District Judge David Counts signed another opinion Thursday that cited a lack of historical record on laws relating to domestic violence to justify disarming abusers. Advocates fear the ruling will put more victims in harm’s way.

These proposed requirements could take effect this school year after the Texas Education Agency takes public comment into consideration.

Department of Public Safety Sgt. Juan Maldonado is the first state police officer fired in the aftermath of a botched police response to the shooting. He was the highest-ranking state trooper to initially respond to Robb Elementary School.

Although there are laws on the books preventing certain people from possessing guns, there are few places in the state where the criminal justice system has programs to hand over firearms to law enforcement — leaving survivors at a heightened risk for gun violence.

The school board also named Gary Patterson as the interim superintendent, but didn’t say when he would start or Harrell would depart.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the school district knew the ex-trooper “had actions inconsistent with training and department requirements.”

In a news conference ahead of the only gubernatorial debate, 35 family members of Uvalde school shooting victims said they would support O’Rourke because of Gov. Greg Abbott’s inaction on gun control measures.

The lawsuit says each defendant played a part in the shooting’s tragic outcome, from failing to comply with safety protocols to pushing dark marketing that pitches lethal weapons to young minds.

New mandatory sentences could be a big policy shift for Texas. But Patrick isn’t providing any details of his one-sentence proposal so it’s hard to gauge its significance.

A court had ruled that the state’s ban was unconstitutional. The attorney general’s office — usually a supporter of gun rights — said it will appeal but didn’t explain why.

Speaking at The Texas Tribune Festival, Cruz said armed security is a better way to keep schools safe.

A judge appointed by former President Donald Trump based his decision on a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down New York’s concealed carry law.

The senator declined and instead said “he supports increasing law enforcement presence on school campuses.”

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from several local, state and federal agencies have been heavily criticized for the delayed response in confronting the gunman during the worst school shooting in Texas history.

The gunman in Uvalde bought two AR-15-style rifles days after he turned 18, the legal purchasing age in Texas, and used the weapons to kill 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.

Uvalde trustees are unsure if officers who will provide school security this year were part of the delayed response to the shooting at Robb Elementary.

The governor has made a vocal enemy in the families of Robb Elementary shooting victims. They are demanding a special legislative session to reach a compromise on the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic rifles.

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who cited the Second Amendment in his decision, stayed the ruling pending appeal.

Speaking out for the first time, an El Paso mom recounts the moments from a bank inside the Walmart where 23 people were fatally shot and dozens more were injured in 2019.

We examine decades of data on gun ownership and gun violence to show trends across the state. Some of them might surprise you.

Residents and victims’ families say the way local and state leaders are handling details about the state’s deadliest shooting is compounding their trauma and grief.

Almost half the money is going toward bullet-resistant shields for school police officers, a move that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on fellow state leaders to support.

Four senators, including Cornyn, used a distinctive combination of policy expertise, legislative experience and political courage to push past obstacles that had repeatedly stymied previous attempts at compromise.

The new law contains modest provisions but is the most significant gun measure passed by Congress in nearly three decades.

The U.S. House passed the legislation Friday afternoon. Nearly all Texas Republicans voted against it. The bill is widely viewed as a series of modest changes to current gun regulations, falling far short of proposals pushed by House Democrats and President Joe Biden.

The legislation still needs to clear the House, where it is expected to pass. President Joe Biden has signaled he will sign the bill into law.

The high court found that states can’t require people to show “proper cause” for a gun permit. Texas allows people to carry handguns without a permit.

New information released by law enforcement sources and the director of the Department of Public Safety tells a different story about police response to the shooting than Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo.

The senators said they would support proposals like raising the age to legally own an assault weapon from 18 to 21, creating red flag laws and regulating private gun sales.

The bipartisan gun legislation could end up being a career definer for John Cornyn, Texas’ senior senator. He’s shown a past willingness to compromise but faces critics farther to his right, including his fellow senator Ted Cruz.

Red flag laws are designed to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has championed the bipartisan agreement.

The Department of Justice says the weapons illegally sold by Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, were later used in over a dozen crimes, including the killing of a 21-year-old Black transgender woman.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was one of the lead negotiators for the proposal, which would expand background checks for people under 21 and encourage states to enact “red flag” laws. President Joe Biden and House Democrats had wanted to go further.

Outside the Capitol in Austin, relatives of Jackie Cazares, 9, and Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10, two of the 19 students killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, tearfully addressed a crowd.

Criticized by law enforcement experts for slowness in taking out the shooter, Pete Arredondo described an agonizing wait for a key that would work. In an interview with The Texas Tribune, he said he hadn’t spoken out sooner because he didn’t want to compound his hometown’s grief or point blame.

Cornyn on Monday made clear in a Senate floor speech that there are limits to what he and the Senate GOP conference are willing to support in their efforts to pass bipartisan gun legislation.

In arguing over causes of the latest mass shooting, political debate often overlooks the range of incremental steps that could lessen the chances of mass killing and help address the nation’s persistent gun violence.

More than 250 self-declared gun enthusiasts, including donors who have contributed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaigns, have signed on to an open letter supporting Sen. John Cornyn’s efforts at bipartisan gun reform legislation.

He offered other measures more likely to pass in Congress, like raising the age to 21 to purchase such weapons.

House Democrats are combining several gun policy bills into one large package known as the Protecting our Kids Act. Among the measures in the bill: raising the age to purchase semi-automatic weapons to 21; outlawing the sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of a large-capacity magazine; and creating tax breaks for purchasing proper gun storage equipment.

Gutierrez, a Democrat who has been critical of the state’s response to past shootings, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also snubbed state senators whose districts were affected by shootings in El Paso and Santa Fe.

Longtime Uvalde residents say the city is a hunting mecca and the love for guns goes right along with it. But some would now support measures like raising the age limit to buy AR-style weapons or monitoring high-volume ammunition purchases.

O’Rourke became known on the presidential campaign trail for his “Hell yes” promise to ban assault weapons. He’s been less vocal about the policy in his run for governor but this week, after the school shooting in Uvalde, he’s been newly assertive about the issue.

She wanted to be an art teacher. Her favorite color was purple. She was laid to rest three weeks after her birthday.

In addressing mass shootings, Texas’ top officials have tailored their responses to the wishes of some of their most outspoken voters. The results haven’t changed because we haven’t changed.

The question moving forward is whether Democrats, outnumbered in the Texas Legislature for two decades, will be able to put enough pressure on lawmakers to move on a previously intractable issue in gun-friendly Texas and that Republicans, who support looser gun laws, will fight tooth and nail.

Trump spoke at the Houston event three days after the Uvalde school shooting.

Deflecting blame from guns, attendees said a breakdown in society — including removing God from schools and a rise in mental illness — causes mass shootings, echoing the rhetoric of Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Uvalde is grieving the loss of 19 students and two teachers after Tuesday’s devastating shooting at a local elementary school. In this video, residents say their town will never be the same, but they will help each other through the healing process.

The Republican governor will still be seen in prerecorded remarks at the organization’s annual meeting, which begins Friday in Houston.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has a history of working across the aisle to advance small gun policy bills after mass shootings.

The press conference is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Central time and comes after news reports quoting local residents saying that law enforcement did not enter the school fast enough.

He brought only one of the rifles with him into the elementary school, according to the briefing. The other was left in a truck he crashed nearby.

Families gathered at the city’s civic center to await news about their children following the elementary school shooting. Other residents processed their shock and grief in places of worship.

As President Joe Biden vowed to enact stricter gun laws following the Uvalde shooting, top Texas Republicans worked to create distance between the shooting and potential gun restrictions.

We know what comes next. Another scar hardens on the state’s collective psyche, but little is done to prevent the next one.

Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders signaled an openness to some gun restrictions after recent mass shootings. But in the last several years, lawmakers have eased gun laws, most notably by passing a permitless carry bill last year.

The law that went into effect Sept. 1 allows anyone 21 years or older to carry a handgun in public without need for a permit or training.

Texas’ new near-total abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the nation, punctuated a week that brought into stunning relief just how far the state’s political pendulum has swung to the right since the 2020 election.

From abortion restrictions to guns, the Texas Legislature's regular session Republican victories were just the beginning.

The new laws will affect abortion access, social studies curriculum and cities that trim the budgets of law enforcement.

The issues getting attention from Gov. Greg Abbott are doing double-duty: They're attractive to Republican voters in Texas — and beyond.

In September 2019, he said he was "willing to take an arrow" and go against the National Rifle Association by pushing for Texas to extend background checks to gun sales between strangers. On Thursday, he sat next to NRA leader Wayne LaPierre as an expansion of gun rights became law.

Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other Republicans who were initially noncommittal about the bill were under immense political pressure this session from conservatives and gun rights advocates, who have long lobbied the Texas Legislature for permitless carry.

State Rep. Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso, said a special legislative session already planned for later this year should also address gun violence.

The Legislature passed a bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a license or training — an expansion of gun rights so divisive Republican leaders in previous years refused to touch it.

Lawmakers consider some things so safe that regulations can be loosened, while other matters get a tighter regulatory scheme. Consider guns and voting.

A session transformed by COVID-19 protocols is giving way to a political cycle already disrupted by the pandemic’s effects on state government.