Robb Elementary School Shooting Survivors Call for Change at Austin Rally

Austin, Texas. Mass shootings across the country and in Texas sparked a large gun reform rally in Austin on Tuesday.

The rally participants included families and survivors of the shooting at Robb’s elementary school.

“On May 24, everything changed,” said an excited Caitlin Gonzalez. “I shouldn’t be here right now, but I’m here because my friends don’t have a voice anymore.”

Caitlin wasn’t the only speaker. Gun owners took to the microphone outside the State Capitol, calling for an increase in the age for buying guns and closing the gun show loophole.

A recent University of Houston poll found that Democratic and Republican Texans overwhelmingly support these and other reform measures. Now the question is whether this will reflect the actions of the MPs representing them.

“We need this body to translate their thoughts and prayers into action,” said Cristina Delgado of Santa Fe.

Eleven students of Arnulfo Reyes and two of his colleagues at Robb’s elementary school were killed.

“I think it is very appropriate to raise the age limit to 21,” he said at the rally.

It’s actually one of several gun reform measures included in a bill Democrats submitted to the Senate on Monday.

“It’s not just about mental health,” said Senator Roland Gutierrez, who leads Robb’s Basic Firearms Safety Act. “It’s not just video games. This is a pistol. It’s an AR-15 that you put in the hands of an 18-year-old.”

During the State Address, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that another year cannot go by without schools being made safer.

Both Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named school safety as one of their priorities for this session.

This month, the Governor called gun crime a public safety issue.

“Some want more gun laws, but the point is that too many local officials won’t even enforce gun laws that are already on the books,” Abbott said during an address to the state.

KHOU 11 has contacted the offices of Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick, and Speaker Phelan to inquire about their position on Robb’s Basic Firearms Safety Act.

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