AUSTIN, Texas — After recent mass shooting across the country and in Texas, gun safety advocates are demanding change from state legislators.
Starting at noon on Feb. 28, state leaders – including State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt and State Rep. Vikki Goodwin – joined Uvalde survivors and gun safety advocates for a rally at the Texas State Capitol to ask lawmakers to address the gun violence epidemic.
"We're just expecting this session that we're going to have fair and honest conversations," said Nicole Golden, Texas Gun Sense's executive director. "That means holding hearings. On some of the bills this last session when lawmakers declined to do that … since then, we've experienced escalating rates of gun violence. We're going to ask this time – hold a hearing."
Some of the bills filed this session include raising the minimum age to buy a gun from 18 to 21. Gov. Greg Abbott has previously called such bills "unconstitutional," citing cases decided across the country that blocked similar efforts in other states.
Other bills filed include strengthening background checks for people wanting to buy firearms. Additionally, there is a push for an "extreme risk protection order," also known as a "red flag law." This law would take firearms away from people that are deemed dangerous.
Advocates are hopeful for this session to pass some of these suggested bills. The new House Select Committee on Community Safety was created just last week to take a close look at firearm-related proposals this legislative session.
"I really hope that those conversations are taken seriously," Golden said, "And that leadership will move that legislation forward, finally. It's way past time."
At Tuesday's rally, advocates held signs and chanted, "End gun violence, no more silence." Parents of survivors of the Robb Elementary School shooting were seen holding signs stating "assault weapons took my godparents" and "end gun violence."
Other signs from the crowd read "TX Lege: Who has to die before you support gun safety," "I am the gun sense majority" in both English and Spanish and "don't just pray."
An emotional Gutierrez said May 24, 2022, changed lives forever. He has said Abbott's claim that raising the age limit of those who can buy firearms from 18 to 21 years old is unconstitutional is incorrect and referred to how then-Florida governor Rick Scott, a Republican, changed age-limit laws 23 days after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland.
“Seventy-five percent of Republican voters are in agreement that we should have what the Democrats are supporting, what these families are supporting," Gutierrez said. "This isn’t political. This has nothing to do with politics."
Eckhardt shared legislation that she has filed surrounding gun safety, and said she tries to place herself in the shoes of survivors.
"Everybody in this building needs to imagine what it would be like if it was their child," Eckhardt said, pointing to the Capitol building.
Also in attendance for the Gun Sense Rally at the Capitol on Tuesday was Robb Elementary School shooting survivor Caitlyn Gonzalez. She bravely shared her experience on May 24.
“I was at my award ceremony that day, earlier before the shooting. As soon as we got to our class, we heard the gunshots," Gonzalez said. "He wobbled my..."
Gonzalez took a few moments to catch her breath as she started to cry. She went on to share how the gunman wobbled the doorknob, tried to get in, then shot through her classroom door.
A bullet went over her head.
“I had to wait there for 77 minutes, and then I heard the glass break," Gonzalez said. "I had to run to the funeral home barefoot with no shoes on. I had splinters, glass in my foot, and my foot was bruised up."
Gonzalez also asked Texas lawmakers for gun safety legislation.
"I shouldn’t have to be here now right, but I am because my friends don’t have a voice no more," Gonzalez said. "Greg Abbott’s done nothing to protect me and my friends."
After the rally at the Capitol's south steps, advocates went to speak with lawmakers in their offices to discuss the changes they hope to see.