Statement from Texas Gun Owners for Safety After the Latest Shooting in Texas
October 27, 2019 — At least two people are dead and 16 injured after a gunman opened fire at an off-campus homecoming party near Texas A&M University late Saturday night. This is the latest in a string of deadly shootings in Texas over the summer and fall.
Statements from members of Texas Gun Owners for Safety:
“We have had enough. We are fed up with the feeling that no place feels safe from gun violence,” said Jane Mumey of Texas Gun Owners for Safety. “We are outraged that any celebration could suddenly become a place of fear and death. As gun owners, we fully understand the devastation a firearm in the wrong hands causes and that our leaders have done nothing to toughen our weak gun laws. Lawmakers in Austin have wasted enough time, they must take action by passing legislation like universal background checks. The time for excuses and stalling is over.”
“Texas Gun Owners for Safety is once again horrified by the act of gun violence that struck Greenville last night,” said Josh Sanderson of Texas Gun Owners for Safety. “Unfortunately, these mass shootings have now become commonplace in our state. But we don’t have to stand by and do nothing. We can demand leaders enact commonsense gun safety laws to stop the carnage in our state.”
Texas Gun Owners for Safety 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.