AUSTIN, Texas — They arrived to the Texas State Capitol at 8 a.m. Tuesday. They didn't leave until 2 a.m. Wednesday.
The families of Uvalde and Santa Fe shooting victims waited more than 12 hours to testify before the House Select Committee on Community Safety in support of House Bill 2744. The bill, authored by State Rep. Tracy King (D - Uvalde), would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21.
The bill includes exceptions for peace officers or a current or honorably discharged members of the U.S. Armed Forces. King said a revised bill would add exceptions to certain temporary loans of such a firearm – for instance, for shooting on the property of the owner.
The committee, which first convened at 9 a.m. Tuesday and broke for recess to attend the legislative session in the House Chamber at 10 a.m., did not reconvene until shortly after 7 p.m.
The feeling was one of heartbreak – and sometimes tension – in room E2.012. The Capitol was empty of other visitors. Cleaning crews began vacuuming the halls to prepare for the next day.
Relatives of victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022, came with nothing but their testimony about their own experiences and the final moments between them and their children or siblings.
Bringing forth HB 2744, King told the House Select Committee that this was personal to him. The gun-owning Uvalde representative shared that his children, now older, attended Robb Elementary School and attended classes in the same area the shooting took place. King said he believes if HB 2744 had been a law in place last May, 19 children and two teachers would be alive today.
Had the bill been law, King – as well as some of those who testified – said the Uvalde shooter would not have been able to legally purchase the weapon he used. The gunman purchased his weapon days after his 18th birthday.
State Rep. Joe Moody (D - El Paso) praised King for his efforts. Moody, who was part of the investigative committee into the Robb Elementary School shooting, said the State allows "these things" to happen over and over, referring to mass shootings.
Moody has been open about his efforts for gun safety legislation. Prior to public testimony, he shared something he said was not really known "outside of people who investigated the shooting " into the Uvalde massacre.
Inside the Robb Elementary classroom the gunman entered was a white board. On one side of the board, a sign read “lovebirds,” listing the couples in class. Moody said four "puppy love" couples were also shown. The other side of the board was blank.
During the shooting, the gunman “scooped blood” and wrote a message on the board with his hands: “Lol.”
Witnesses in the room could be heard audibly sobbing.
The parents of 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, Kimberly Garcia and Angel Garza testified.
Through tears, Amerie Jo Garza's stepfather said he has often replayed May 24 in his head and asked many "what ifs." He said he had no idea the last words he'd hear from her is, "I love you, Daddy," before she went to school and never came home.
Javier Cazares testified that his daughter, 9-year-old Jacklyn Cazares, never learned to ride a bike or made it to the fifth grade or became a vet.
Velma Lisa Duran’s sister, teacher Irma Garcia, was killed while attempting to shield her fourth grade students from the gunman.
“Our hearts may be broken,” Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter, Lexi, was killed in the shooting, told lawmakers. “But our resolve has never been stronger.”
Opponents of HB 2744 included National Rifle Association (NRA) representative Tara Mica.
She said the bill would be found unconstitutional and would unfairly target responsible owners of such guns who are between 18 and 21 years old. Others suggested limiting who can own guns and said more armed residents, including teachers, are essential to preventing school shootings.
State Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers (D - Garland) asked why Mica could not, out of respect for the Uvalde families, submit written testimony instead. Mica argued that the NRA would be criticized for not "showing up" and testifying.
"Who cares?" Bowers said. "I'm sorry to say it like that, but who cares what criticism you would've received when these people have lost their loved ones? I don't understand."
CJ Grisham, founder and president of Texas Open Carry, also testified to oppose gun legislation the House Select Committee was taking on Tuesday night. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D - San Antonio), who had come to the committee room to support the Uvalde families, was seen getting into a quiet, verbal argument with Grisham. Expletives could be heard from the two, and Capitol aides stood in-between the men.
The argument was moved outside, where several men from Uvalde quickly followed. The argument appeared to quickly end afterward.
Bills calling for new regulations have caused heated debate, and face difficulty in the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature. HB 2744 was left pending in the House Select Committee on Community Safety.
Families of Uvalde shooting victims left the Capitol around 3 a.m.