AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers can and should do whatever they can to respond to the Allen mall mass shooting and others like it, the Republican who represents the area said Monday.
Before a moment of silence on the Texas House floor to honor the victims of Saturday’s shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, Rep. Jeff Leach said legislators must address the issue of mass gun violence. He conceded that he didn’t know what legislative approaches should be taken at the moment.
The legislative session ends May 29.
“There’s a lot we don’t know. But one thing I do know is this is happening way too much, and it doesn’t have to be this way,” said Leach, R-Plano. “I don’t have the answers. I don’t have a bill in front of you. I’m not sure there are any bills in front of us this morning, this session, that could have prevented this. I don’t know. I don’t know.
“We will respond boldly, swiftly, smartly, and that we will do everything that we possibly can to address this head on,” he said.
Outside of the House on Monday, families from Uvalde gathered to demand that lawmakers pass gun control legislation. Their chants could be heard filtering into the House chamber throughout the morning.
On Monday, a House committee passed a bill the Uvalde families support that would raise the age for buying a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. The gunman in the Uvalde shooting, who killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School last summer, legally purchased the firearms he used in the shooting days after he turned 18.
The gunman in the Allen shooting, who law enforcement killed on site, has been identified as a 33-year-old man. Records show he was born in Dallas County. Officials have released little on-the-record information about the gunman or his motives.
Texas’ GOP leaders have played down the potential for gun control legislation in the wake of the shooting. On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott said they should focus on mental health services.
“We are working to address that anger and violence by going to its root cause, which is addressing the mental health problems behind it,” Abbott told Fox News Sunday. “People want a quick solution. The long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue.”
Leach ended his speech by mentioning a child victim named William, who Leach said is in critical condition after being wounded in Saturday’s shooting. When he wakes up, Leach said, he will learn that his parents and sister were killed.
“I believe in a great God who meets us to the point of our need, who grants us wisdom when we ask for it. And I know that this body will have asked for wisdom and responded courageously,” he said.
Clarification: This story has been updated to indicate Gov. Greg Abbott spoke with Fox News Sunday, not Fox News.
