After 19 students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Republican lawmakers in the state have begun pushing back against calls for stricter gun control.
“Inevitably, when there’s a murder of this kind, you see politicians try to politicize it, you see Democrats and a lot of folks in the media whose immediate solution is to try to restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) told reporters last week. “That doesn’t work. It’s not effective. It doesn’t prevent crime.”
Sen. Cruz called for armed security at schools, saying, “We know from past experience that the most effective tool for keeping kids safe is armed law enforcement on the campus.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also quickly dismissed the idea of more stringent restrictions on firearms and called for armed guards at schools in an appearance on Newsmax.
“I’d much rather have law-abiding citizens armed and trained so that they can respond when something like this happens because it’s not going to be the last time,” Paxton said.
There was an armed officer at the Uvalde elementary school. The Washington Post reports that a school district police officer “engaged” the gunman but was shot and wounded before the shooter entered the elementary school.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that at least one officer from the Uvalde school district was at the school. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steve McCraw said the school police officer saw the gunman after he crashed a car near the school.
“Gunfire was not exchanged, but the subject was able to make it into the school,” McCraw said, adding that the officer was “brave.”
President Joe Biden took to social media to call on Congress to take action with stricter gun laws.
“As a nation we must ask: When in God’s name will we stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name will we do what needs to be done?” Biden said. “I’m sick and tired of it. We have to act.”
As a nation we must ask: When in God’s name will we stand up to the gun lobby?
When in God’s name will we do what needs to be done?
I’m sick and tired of it. We have to act.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke called on Republican Governor Greg Abbott to withdraw from appearing at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) 2022 annual meeting on Friday in Houston. Former President Donald Trump and Sen. Cruz were also scheduled to appear at the meeting. O’Rourke told Abbott to order the NRA to move its conference out of the state.
“Governor Abbott, if you have any decency, you will immediately withdraw from this weekend’s NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas,” O’Rourke tweeted Tuesday night.
Governor Abbott, if you have any decency, you will immediately withdraw from this weekend’s NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 25, 2022
Aside from stationing more armed police at schools and arming teachers and school administrators, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also suggested limiting the number of entryways into schools as a possible solution in an appearance on Fox News.
“We have to harden these targets so that no one can get in ever except through one entrance,” Patrick told Tucker Carlson. “Maybe that would help. Maybe that would stop someone.”
