Gun reform groups gather in Austin to call for end to gun violence

AUSTIN, Texas - Gun reform activists gathered downtown calling for an end to gun violence in the wake of the deadly mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde.

The Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action, along with the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, hosted the event as part of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Attendees wore orange to honor those affected by gun violence. Lawmakers, teachers, health professionals, and survivors of gun violence attended the event.

Organizers say an average of 110 Americans die every day by gun violence.

"My son was lucky enough to finish fourth grade," Molly Bursey, state legislative lead for the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action, said was her reaction after hearing about the Uvalde shooting.

Organizers criticized top leaders in Texas.

"They just gut our gun laws. I'm sick of it, I'm angry, I'm grieving. I feel for those families, and I feel for the 110 Americans every day, it's too much," Bursey said.

They're also calling on U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) to do more.

Cornyn is at the center of a bipartisan group of senators trying to compromise on gun reform.

"We want a background check on every single gun sale, we want him to implement red flag laws, we want to raise the age to buy a firearm, and regulate the sale of these military style rifles and high capacity magazines," Bursey said.

One teacher at the event talks about her frustrations.

"We shouldn't be scared at school. I shouldn't be having active shooter drills with my kids," Micah Somerville, a sixth grade teacher from West Texas, said. "There is no way I'm taking a gun into my classroom. We need to have common sense gun laws on the books to keep guns out of the hands of people who don't need to have them."

While the group advocates for gun reform, one gun shop owner says the current system works. 

"I think we need to focus on what the issue really is, which is, the background check system actually works, so we need to make sure they put the information in the system. The parents need to get involved in that, if parents are having problems with their kids, we need to discipline them, more parenting, and also, law enforcement, if there's an issue, that stuff needs to go to law enforcement so they can be put in the system so that way they won't pass a background check to get a gun," Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, said. "This past shooting that we had, Uvalde, was a parenting issue. The mother and father were not involved in this kid's life, and then you look at the grandparents not capable of handling this 18-year-old."

He adds, "you can't raise the age limit to 21 because what are you going to say, you're 18 years old, you can go die for your country, give your life for your country, but when you come home, you can't buy that same gun you used to defend this country?"

On Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker of the House Dade Phelan formed special legislative committees after Gov. Greg Abbott asked them to look at ways to prevent school shootings.

Many Democrats, however, want a special session. 

"Anyone who suggests, 'well, maybe we should focus on background checks as opposed to mental health,' I suggest to you, is mistaken," Abbott said last week.