High School Democrats of America’s Call to Action in Response to the Allen, Texas Mass Shooting
The following statement was published by High School Democrats of America following the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, which killed Daniela Mendoza, Sofia Mendoza, Cindy Cho, Kyu Cho, James Cho, Christian LaCour, Aishwarya Thatikonda, and Elio Cumana-Rivas.
On May 6th, 8 individuals were killed during the deadly mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets, a mall in the affluent suburbs of Dallas. Two of those victims were elementary school students. This marks the 200th mass shooting of 2023. While no official motive has been released, the gunman Mauricio Garcia was found wearing insignia that authorities believe may be associated with extremist groups. Furthermore, Garcia's social media accounts showcase neo-nazi and white supremacist views which may be linked to his motive for primarily targeting victims of color. Pentagon records reveal that the gunman was released from the Army for mental health reasons. The police confirmed that an AR-15-style rifle was used by the shooter which comes as no surprise because this isn’t the first time that an AR-15 was used in a mass shooting in Texas.
An AR-15, the all too familiar semiautomatic rifle used to carry out the mass shooting in Uvalde, TX almost a year ago, has become the go-to weapon of choice for mass shooters because of the Texas laws that make it so easy to obtain. The age requirement to purchase an AR-15 within the state of Texas is currently 18 and private and gun show sales don’t even require background checks to purchase them. A bill to raise the age requirement from 18 to 21 has advanced from a House select committee to the Texas House of Representatives for a vote. But it isn’t just the age requirement. Gun restrictions in Texas have continually become looser as Governor Abbott repeatedly reaffirms the state’s protection of the second amendment to extreme lengths.
Photo via CNN
Following the mass shooting in Allen, TX, Governor Abbott was presented with a poll by a Fox News host that showed staggering support among Texans for expanding background checks and raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm. He rebuffed those safety measures citing alternatives that his administration will pursue which were further penalizing those that illegally possess firearms and allocating more state funding towards mental health programs. Gov. Abbott has also cited mental health as the root cause behind gun violence in response to the Uvalde mass shooting last May. However, contrary to Governor Abbott’s claims of improving mental healthcare in the state, Texas ranks last for access to mental healthcare in the country. Just a month before the Uvalde massacre, Gov Abbot slashed $211 million in funding for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission which oversees public mental health programs. Regardless of the governor’s inaction on the mental health front, experts state that mental health is not the root cause of gun violence and increasing gun control is the answer which the Governor can’t seem to accept.
There have been 9 mass shootings in Texas over the last 14 years, 7 of which have occurred since Governor Abbott took office in 2015. According to the most recent data published by the CDC Texas leads the country with 4,613 firearm-related deaths and the most number of mass shootings this year thus far. Since taking office, Abbott and the GOP-led Texas legislature have passed laws allowing licensed gun owners to openly carry firearms and force public colleges and universities to allow the concealed carrying of weapons on their campuses. In 2021, Abbott eliminated the need for permits to carry handguns in public, and in 2022, refused to raise the age requirement for purchasing an assault rifle from 18 to 21, citing the policy’s unconstitutionality. Aside from refusing to regulate firearm purchases, Governor Abbott has publicly encouraged Texans to buy more guns in a Tweet where he said “I’m EMBARRASSED: Texas #2 in the nation for new gun purchases, behind CALIFORNIA. Let’s pick up the pace, Texans.” Not to mention he also tagged the National Rifle Association (NRA) in this tweet. The Gun lobby powered by interest groups such as the NRA, is highly prominent in Texas. From 2015-2021, coincidentally since Abbott took office as Governor, the NRA spent more on lobbying Texas legislators than any other state with over $3 million in funds. Aside from the NRA’s contributions to Governor Abbott, the NRA has also heavily funded the political campaigns of other high-ranking Texas officials such as Senator Ted Cruz, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
Firearm-related injuries are the leading cause of death for adolescents (defined as anybody under the age of 19) in the US, making Gun Violence practically an epidemic. We don’t want to hear careless thoughts and prayers from public officials that have the power to prevent these atrocities, to begin with. Allen, TX is not the first and sadly it won’t be the last tragedy that Texas will experience as long as Governor Abbott continues to ignore the innocent lives taken by rampant gun violence. The High School of Democrats DEMAND CHANGE. We DEMAND a governor who prioritizes innocent human lives over the gun lobby. We DEMAND a governor who stands by his words and acts on behalf of his constituents' best interests and wishes. But this isn’t entirely on Governor Abbott, this is also on us. As citizens, it is our responsibility to elect legislators and public officials that will represent our values. Texas has one of the lowest youth voter turnout rates in the country at 21.5% during the 2022 midterms. WE CAN DO BETTER. Most importantly, WE MUST DO BETTER. We shouldn’t be going to school or the mall or a public space in fear that we might not make it back. It shouldn’t have to take this many lives for change to finally occur. We have to show up and show out in great numbers at the polls to make our voices heard if we want to see material change.
Statement via Sohali Vaddula, HSDA Communications Director.
NOTE: The Progressive Teen is an affiliate of High School Democrats of America. Nonetheless, the stances of TPT’s Editorial Board are independent of HSDA. TPT does not publish its own official stances on current events.