HOUSTON — In a surprise move on Monday, Texas lawmakers voted to advance House Bill 2744 which would raise the legal age to buy, rent or borrow certain semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old. The weapons included are semi-automatic rifles with a caliber greater than .22.
The bill still has a long way to go before becoming law. It would have to pass the full House and Senate.
But, if HB 2744 does pass, would it make much of a difference?
We looked at six of the more recent deadly mass shootings in Texas, which make up just a small sampling of the total.
- 2016: Dallas, Texas: Five police officers were killed by a 25-year-old gunman. He used an AK-47-style assault rifle. House Bill 2744 would not have stopped this shooting.
- 2017: Sutherland Springs, Texas: Twenty-six people were killed by a 26-year-old gunman who used an AR-556 rifle and two handguns. House Bill 2744 would not have stopped this shooting.
- 2018: Santa Fe, Texas: Ten people were killed by a suspected gunman who was 17 at the time. Investigators said he used a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver. Both weapons were purchased by his father. House Bill 2744 would not have stopped this shooting.
- 2019: El Paso, Texas: Twenty-three people were killed at a Walmart by a 21-year-old gunman who used an AK-47. But, he was 20 when he purchased the weapon. House Bill 2744 could have stopped this shooting.
- 2022: Uvalde, Texas: Twenty-one people were killed at Robb Elementary by an 18-year-old gunman who used an AR-15-style rifle that he bought. House Bill 2744 could have stopped this shooting.
- 2023: Allen, Texas: Eight people were killed at a shopping center by a 33-year-old gunman who used an AR-style rifle and a handgun. House Bill 2744 would not have stopped this shooting.
There were 93 total victims in these six incidents alone, out of those, HB 2744 could have made a difference in saving 44 of them, many children. This helps explain why several of the victim’s families from Uvalde have been pushing for this legislation to pass.
Mass killings in Texas since 2007