Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says she struggled to find the right words in her response to Saturday’s shooting in Allen, the latest mass shooting in Texas.
“These issues are not just emotional. There is common sense here, and I know as a state, our policy leaders can do this,” said Parker, a Republican.
She saw the pictures and heard the stories. Parker choked up when talking about the 6-year-old boy who lost his parents and younger brother in the Allen mass shooting.
“William is the same age as our son, who is 6. I mean, how would my family have had to tell him his mom and dad were gone, his brother was gone? His whole life, right, in one moment. And so yeah, I need to get over myself and say something, and be willing to be bold in this moment. But also be respectful of our state leaders. This is horrible,” Parker said.
Parker tweeted Monday after a House committee voted to advance House Bill 2744 which would raise the age limit to 21 to buy semi-automatic weapons. Republican Rep. Justin Holland of Heath was one of two Republicans who voted in favor of it moving forward.
“I was really proud of him, and I just wanted him to feel that support,” added Parker.
It has been a week of emotions and questions about how to move forward. Rep. Jeff Leach, who represents Allen, was emotional on the House floor.
“Increasingly, I am finding freedom in saying what I think, and so I am going to say something this morning. There is a lot we don’t know, but one thing I do know, is that this happening way too much, and it doesn’t have to be this way,” said Leach.
But the way forward is unknown in Texas. While the House committee has voted to move the bill forward, it has not been scheduled for a full vote
“I think when a family member or a mother from Uvalde is begging you, has been in our state capitol day after day, after losing their son or their daughter, asking for this small change, we should give it to those families,” Parker added.
