HOUSTON — For weeks, the gun debate has again been front and center, and here in Houston, grassroots efforts are being made to change gun laws.
Still, for people like George and Calandrian Kemp, the loss of their son George Kemp Jr. to gun violence in 2013 will last a lifetime.
“George loved his horses. George wanted a family. He had his horses that he called his children. And so, he was just a lovable young man," Calandrian Kemp said.
Wearing orange, the color associated with the Wear Orange movement to end gun violence, their foundation “No Weapon 1 Life” is using equine therapy to help other families who’ve lost loved ones and are advocating for gun reform - like Paul Castro who lost his own son David to a shooting.
“We’re not trying to abolish guns. We are trying to increase awareness, put some rules back in place that used to be there, some common-sense rules and maybe put some new rules out there like red flag laws," Castro said.
And miles away in Bay Knoll Park, community members organized a march chanting, “Enough is enough!”
And they protested at the house of State Rep. Dennis Paul reading the names of the Uvalde victims.
John Cobarruvias said that the national backdrop of mass shootings is something elected officials need to act on in the form of stricter gun laws.
“It gets me very mad because people are dying and this has just got to stop,” Cobarruvias, who organized the protest, said.
The group hopes their signs will signal the change they’re looking for.
KHOU did reach out to the office of Paul but did not hear back.