SAN ANTONIO — The parents of Lexi Rubio will testify before Congress next week on gun violence. The 10-year-old Uvalde girl was one of the 21 victims in the mass shooting last month.
The hearing comes as cries for legislative change grow louder on gun reform.
It's a plea Rose Marie DeHoyos and Gloria Gutiérrez made during their trip to Uvalde.
"We can't let this happen again. It's ridiculous," said DeHoyos.
The two women wore orange, a color signifying a future free from gun violence. A future both women say can't happen if laws don't change.
"What else are we suppose to do? Sit back and just watch another shooting?" said DeHoyos.
On Friday, Governor Greg Abbott announced the creation of special legislative committees in lieu of calling an emergency special session. Abbott said the committees will examine and develop legislative recommendations.
Some state and local leaders said that's not enough.
On Saturday, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff sent a letter to Governor Abbott requesting a special session now 'because we are only 3 months away from the start of the fall school semester'.
The next session isn't scheduled until January 2023.
At the federal level, a hearing is set for the upcoming week. CBS reports parents of the victims and survivors will testify before congress on the impacts of gun violence. Committee members will also examine legislation to ban assault weapons.
"We want change," said DeHoyos.
The community also wants answers following the May 24 shooting rampage. Shifting details on the timeline of the shooting only deepen the heartbreak.
On Saturday, Senator Roland Gutierrez claimed officers had enough resources to attack the gunman.
"You're gonna find out soon enough that there was enough man power to go into that room and do the job that needed to be done," he said.
We reached out to the the senator for more details on his comment made at a downtown rally but he was not available.