Uvalde, Santa Fe families rally for gun laws day after Michigan State mass shooting

AUSTIN, Texas — The Michigan State University mass shooting happened one day shy of the five-year anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting.

And three months shy of the five-year anniversary of the Santa Fe High School mass shooting.

And eight months after Uvalde.

The list of school names and city names and victim names could go on.

On Tuesday, Texas families who’ve been demanding changes in gun laws in Texas for years returned to the state capitol to rally again.

“It’s ridiculous to me that I’m standing here yet again asking for your help to save the next kid’s life, because you can’t save mine,” said Rosie Yanas, who’s son, Chris Stone, died in the 2018 Santa Fe shooting. 

“When you had the chance to save mine you didn’t. But there’s still millions of kids out there who need you.”

Yanas stood beside other grieving mothers and fathers who lost children in the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde as Democratic lawmakers announced proposals to strengthen gun safety laws in Texas.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, and other Democrats called on their Republican colleagues to join them.

“This should not be a partisan issue. This is a public safety issue,” said state Sen. Jose Menendez of San Antonio.

Many of the victims’ families have been pushing for lawmakers to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 to 21 in Texas.

But Tuesday, Menendez offered a compromise.

If raising the age isn’t palatable to Republicans, he proposed a 30-day waiting period for anyone 18 to 21 years old.

Gutierrez has also filed a bill that would create a database to track large ammunition sales, similar to how purchases of the over-the-counter drug Sudafed are tracked at pharmacies.

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt of Austin filed legislation requiring owners of guns that are lost or stolen to notify police. 

She’s also proposing giving colleges and universities the power to determine if guns are allowed on campus.

Families said they are growing weary of demanding change but seeing none, and there is no indication they’ll see change this session either.

Nothing about gun safety is listed in Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s 2023 legislative priorities released this week.

Gov. Greg Abbott will lay out his priorities at his State of the State address on Thursday.

Scot Rice, whose wife was a substitute teacher at Santa Fe and survived being shot six times, grew emotional talking about a lack of action within his own party.

“I’m a staunch Republican. I voted for Trump. I had the flag. I went on the campaign trail with the governor. I’ve been to the mansion. He sat down with us and promised us things. And then they turned their backs on us. And then Uvalde happened,” he said. “So, we are calling on them to do something!”

WFAA asked the governor’s office for a response to Rice’s comments, but we have not received a reply.

“Not any of these things seek to take anyone’s guns away,” Gutierrez said of the bills he and his colleagues have filed.

“It’s important that the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House understand we have to do the minimum here,” he said. “We come back session after session. Promises are made. Promises are not kept.”

Families held signs with pictures of their loved ones and wiped back tears.

“In five years, what has changed?” asked Jazmin Cazares, whose 9-year-old little sister, Jackie, died at Robb Elementary.

“Stop thinking like a politician and start thinking like a parent,” said Belinda Arreoloa, whose granddaughter, Amerie Jo, was also killed in Uvalde.