AUSTIN, Texas - Following the Supreme Court's overturning of New York's concealed carry law, Travis County District Attorney José Garza has released a statement on the matter.
SCOTUS deemed New York's law, which required citizens seeking a permit to carry a gun to show "proper cause," a violation of the Second Amendment. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) quickly expressed her opinion on the decision, calling it "reckless" and saying she will continue to fight for strict gun laws.
The Travis County DA has also shared his opinion on the matter as the state of Texas continues to feel the impact of the recent mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Garza says access to firearms is too lenient, especially for those who pose a threat to the public.
"While the Supreme Court’s decision might make it easier for people to obtain firearms, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office will continue to focus our local efforts on tackling the gun violence crisis and keep our community safe by implementing comprehensive strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence," Garza said.
The DA's office held a Gun Violence Summit at the Capitol earlier this month to hear from local leaders and gun violence victims. Garza says opinions shared at the Summit will be used to create a "roadmap to prevent gun violence in our communities."
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Gun violence summit in Austin looks to find solutions
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"Despite the SCOTUS ruling, our office will work with our public safety leaders and policymakers to develop and support a comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence in Travis County that does not allow for more firearms to flow into our communities," he said. "Our office is committed to making our communities safer, and we will continue to stress the urgency of the gun violence crisis that is devastating our schools, homes, and neighborhoods."
Read Garza's full statement below:
With the recent mass shootings across our nation and the increase in gun violence in our community, it is clear that firearms are far too accessible to people who pose a threat to our community. While the Supreme Court’s decision might make it easier for people to obtain firearms, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office will continue to focus our local efforts on tackling the gun violence crisis and keep our community safe by implementing comprehensive strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence. Our office is committed to building a public safety ecosystem that is supported by evidence-based strategies that we know work to end gun violence. Earlier this month, our office organized a Gun Violence Summit to hear from survivors, victims, and experts on violence reduction to formulate a roadmap to prevent gun violence in our communities. Despite the SCOTUS ruling, our office will work with our public safety leaders and policymakers to develop and support a comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence in Travis County that does not allow for more firearms to flow into our communities. Our office is committed to making our communities safer, and we will continue to stress the urgency of the gun violence crisis that is devastating our schools, homes, and neighborhoods. In November of last year, our office presented a four-part strategy to prevent and reduce gun violence. The strategy includes utilizing new and traditional prosecution methods to pursue sentencing in gun crimes, partnering with community members to create and implement violence-prevention programs, preventing individuals who are at high risk for committing gun-involved intimate partner violence from attaining firearms, and providing support for survivors of gun violence and the families of victims, including through the possible creation of a trauma recovery center. If we are serious about reducing gun violence, we must commit to keeping firearms out of the hands of people who may pose a threat to public safety. Today and every day, our office will continue to work with communities, survivors, and other elected officials to ensure that Travis County does everything we can to keep people safe.