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Date: December 12, 2022
To: Governor Greg Abbott
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
From: Genevieve Pinder
Communications Student at University of Houston – Downtown
One Main Street
Houston, Texas 77002-1014
Subject: Addressing Gun Control Laws in Texas
Attached is my report for my study addressing gun control in Texas to keep students safe in our public
schools. I completed the tasks described in my proposal of October 26, 2022; research gun control in
Texas, research school mass shootings in Texas, and research ways to prevent gun violence in our
communities.
The commissioner of this report is Dr. Ashleigh Petts. This report addresses the problem of lenient
Texas laws allowing the wrong people to get access to weapons of war and causing many incidents in
our public schools. The benefits of stricter gun laws in our State will decrease the number of active
shootings causing many deaths. Also discussed are the impacts that mass shootings have on our
students, teachers, staff, parents, and communities. In addition, there are long-term effects from such
traumatic events that lead to higher rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and higher risks for suicide
among our youth. The lasting impacts on those affected are dire, so we need you to consider new
efforts to address the gun violence in our State.
I believe this is an extremely critical issue, so we need to find more effective ways to prevent this from
recurring. Although lawmakers have passed several school measures like increasing law enforcement in
our schools, trying to be proactive by identifying students that could be possible threats, and increasing
mental health resources, there have also been suggestions to arming more school personnel and that is
not a safe solution for many reasons.
Respectfully,
Genevieve Pinder
Student of Communications
University of Houston – Downtown
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Gun Control in Texas to Keep Students Safe in our Public Schools: Recommendation Report
Prepared for: Governor Greg Abbott
Governor of Texas
Prepared by: Genevieve Pinder
Communications Student
University of Houston – Downtown
December 12, 2022
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Abstract
Gun Control in Texas to Keep Students Safe in our Public Schools:
Recommendation Report
Prepared by: Genevieve Pinder
Communications Student
University of Houston – Downtown
In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed a “permitless carry” law that now allows Texans over the age of
21 to carry handguns in public places without a license or required training. This is not only a lenient
law, but dangerous to our State. Texas has one of the highest school mass shootings in the country, and
our children are being killed without our leaders taking definitive actions to prevent them from
recurring. “A research letter published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine found there
was a 29.5% spike in firearm-related deaths for children and adolescents in 2020. As a result, firearms
became the leading cause of death for young people, surpassing car accidents” (Lurye, 2022).
The purpose of this recommendation report is to prove the dangers we will continue to face if we do
not make a change to our gun control laws in Texas. We have to have the safety of our children in our
public schools at the forefront and as a priority in our state. My report will explain the many ways that
we can prevent mass shootings.
I recommend that we raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic firearms from 18 to 21 years
old. Many would prefer to ban them altogether or raise the minimum age to 25 years old – the
development and maturation of the brain are fully accomplished at the age of 25 – but a more realistic
approach is to raise it to 21 years old. I believe we can get a majority support from our citizens if we
raise the minimum age to 21 years old, we just need our policymakers and leaders to be on the same
page as us.
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Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal……………………………………………………………………………………..1
Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………………...2
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………...5
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………6
Research Methods………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Task 1: Research gun control in Texas…………………………………………………………...7
Task 2:Research school mass shootings in Texas………………………………………………...7
Task 3: Research ways to prevent gun violence in our communities…………………………….8
Research Results…………………………………………………………………………………………9
Task 1: Research gun control in Texas…………………………………………………………...9
Task 2:Research school mass shootings in Texas……………………………………………….10
Task 3: Research ways to prevent gun violence in our communities……………………………11
Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………………..12
Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………12
Option 1: Raise the age to purchase semi-automatic firearms from 18 to 21 years old………..12
Option 2: Require safe and secure gun storage for all gun ownership………………………....12
References………………………………………………………………………………………………13
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Executive Summary
This recommendation report is to address the lenient gun laws in the State of Texas and to present my
findings and recommendations for the best course of action for solving our gun problem and violence.
Currently, the State of Texas allows anyone 21 years and older to carry a handgun in a holster without a
permit. Those that are allowed by law to open carry are no longer required to attend training or go
through an extensive background check. Additionally, by state law individuals 18 and older are allowed
to buy rifles or long guns, like AR-15s.
To carry out this study, I completed the tasks described in our proposal of October 26, 2022. I
researched our current gun control in the State of Texas, the school mass shootings, and ways to
prevent gun violence in our schools and communities.
My main finding is that “over 4,000 Texans are killed by gun violence every year and women in Texas
are more likely to be murdered with a gun than women in other states. Additionally, four of the worst
mass shootings in American history have taken place right here in Texas in just the past decade” (Gun
Safety, 2022). Texas has loosened restrictions on carrying firearms while this issue continues to only
get worse. States that have higher rates of gun ownership have higher rates of gun deaths, especially if
they are not taking the correct measures to make sure that the wrong people are not gaining access to
these dangerous weapons. Texans are divided about gun control, but more people do want our gun
control laws to be more strict.
After the Uvalde Elementary school shooting, we realized that the myth of “the good guy with a gun”
is not true and was debunked. The 18-year-old gunman was able to kill 19 children and two adults
while many officers lacked the urgency to stop the shootings. In total, 376 law enforcement officers
failed that day and proved that “a good guy with a gun” does not stop mass shootings. If professional
and armed officers were not able to stop this massacre, how do we expect our teachers or staff to have
the confidence and courage to stop an active shooter themselves? Arming our teachers is not the answer
to this issue. Teachers are not only responsible to educate students at all levels, but they also mentor,
lead by example, and create an environment that is free of violence and fear. The added responsibility
of a security guard would be not beneficial to anyone. Arming teachers would most likely increase the
danger in schools – how would teachers keep their classrooms safe if they would be out searching for a
shooter? There would be an increased risk of accidental weapon discharge along with making weapons
more accessible to students in the classroom. This situation would be contradictory to creating a safe
environment for students, educators, and all personnel.
I recommend these courses of action: implement gun safety laws (especially for AR-15s), establish a
culture of gun safety, support community safety plans that include prevention and intervention, support
gun violence research, provide mental health for all communities, and require safe and secure gun
storage for all gun owners. I believe these approaches will help us be more proactive and are the right
steps to keep our children, schools, and communities safe.
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Introduction
To determine the best course of action for keeping our children, schools, and communities safe, I
propose a plan for stricter gun laws in our State of Texas. We have a dire gun problem in our state due
to lenient gun laws that allow young adults to purchase weapons of war. The sad reality is that our
schools are no longer a safe haven. Gun-related violence in our country is increasing, and our schools
are not an exception to this issue. Firearms are the second leading cause of death for American children
and adolescents. A school environment should be safe, encourage creative learning, promote social
learning, and create an open space for students to explore and grow. Safety in our schools should be a
priority and is a necessity to support the academic success of all students.
Additionally, the impact of school mass shootings is not only traumatic for everyone involved and
affected, but it also increases unhealthy anxiety and fear for everyone. Parents no longer feel safe
sending their children to school, students and teachers are constantly on alert for any signs of potential
attackers, and our community safety concerns increase. There are long-term effects that prevent us
from living a normal and peaceful life after experiencing such a traumatic event. Many will suffer from
PTSD and may develop mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and mood swings.
How are children supposed to focus on their school work without being concerned about the possibility
of a mass shooting occurring? Children tend to have lower grades and are absent more frequently when
they’re exposed to this kind of violence. How are teachers supposed to successfully educate and keep
their students focused if they’re all suffering from a traumatic event? It’s important to remember that
we need to support the affected children and adults, but also find a way to prevent these incidents from
reccurring.
Currently, our gun laws are too lenient and do not enforce safety measures to keep children safe in our
public schools. Beginning September 1, 2021, it became legal for Texans (21 and over) to carry a
handgun in a holster without a permit. Those that are allowed by law to open carry are no longer
required to attend training or go through an extensive background check. However, the minimum age to
purchase an AR-15-style rifle is only 18 years old. Many people believe that they should not be allowed
at all, but if that is not realistic, then Texas should increase the minimum age from 18 to 21 years old.
In the following sections, I will provide additional details about my research methods, the results I
obtained, the conclusions I drew from those results, and my recommendations.
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Research Methods
I began researching Texas’ gun laws and how they differentiate from other states. I was also intrigued
to learn the impact of our laws and how they increase violence instead of deterring it.
To perform my research, I broke the project into three tasks:
1) Research gun control in Texas
2) Research school mass shootings in Texas
3) Research ways to prevent gun violence in our communities
In the following discussion of how I performed each task, I explain the reasoning that guided my
research.
Task 1: Research gun control in Texas
Beginning September 1, 2021, it became legal for Texans (21 and over) to carry a handgun in a
holster without a permit. Those that are allowed by law to open carry are no longer required to
attend training or go through an extensive background check.
“Over 4,000 Texans are killed by gun violence every year and women in Texas are more likely
to be murdered with a gun than women in other states. Additionally, four of the worst mass
shootings in American history have taken place right here in Texas in just the past decade” (Gun
Safety, 2022).
The majority of Texans want stricter gun control laws, including “red flag” laws, a ban on semi-
automatic weapons, a mandatory requirement for background checks on all gun sales, and
raising the minimum age for purchasing a gun from 18 to 21 years.
“Despite gun violence creating significant problems for Texas and its residents, the state
legislature has failed to act. For example, in 2021, two state representatives introduced H.B. 118
and H.B. 52, bills which would have required a background check on all gun transfers in Texas,
but lawmakers failed to vote these bills out of committee. In fact, the state has not passed any
meaningful gun reform measures in decades” (Edmund, Barrio, & Golden, 2022).
A 2017 study found that states that weakened their gun permitting systems saw an 11 percent
increase in gun homicides. Additionally, carrying guns in public has also been associated with
higher levels of gun theft” (Edmund, Barrio, & Golden, 2022).
As we expected, the information we acquired proved that our lenient state laws are not helping, but
instead, increasing gun violence in our state. We need to look at the data to better understand how this
is affecting the safety of our children in public schools. We need to address gun violence and partner
with schools and school boards to prevent school mass shootings.
Task 2: Research school mass shootings in Texas
Although the data shows that school shootings can be rare, the reality is that we do have school
shootings every year and even one school shooting is more than enough.
“Since 1970, there have been 681 total recorded deaths from school shootings, of which 441
victims were under the age of 20. In terms of which states have seen the most school shootings,
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it’s largely a matter of population size. Since 1970, the most populous states like California and
Texas have had the largest number of shootings that resulted in deaths or injuries” (Lurye,
2022).
School shootings seem to be more common nowadays, and Texas holds the second incident
rank in the United States. Our lack of gun control and lenient laws will only cause more
incidents and allow people that should not own guns, especially weapons of war, to get access
to these weapons which will only cause more mass shootings.
“2021 was the most violent on record with 193 people killed or wounded in school shootings,
not including the shooters themselves. There have been 145 victims in just the first half of 2022.
(As of May 27, these numbers included at least 21 people killed and 19 wounded at the shooting
in Uvalde, but may be adjusted as more information comes out.)” (Lurye, 2022).
“An early March 2018 poll of teachers conducted by the National Education Association found
that its members oppose arming fellow teachers by a wide margin. Nearly three-quarters of the
respondents were opposed to arming teachers and other school employees and 64 percent stated
that they would feel less safe knowing that they worked with armed fellow school employees”
(DeMitchell, 2019).
My research proves that mass shootings in Texas are a dire problem, so we need to find more effective
ways to protect our children so they can focus on learning and not stress if their schools are safe or not.
Many different variables need to be taken into account that could be influencing dangerous acts toward
others.
Task 3: Research ways to prevent gun violence in our communities
Implement gun safety laws
Establish a culture of gun safety
Support community safety plans that include prevention and intervention
Support gun violence research
Provide mental health for all communities
Require safe and secure gun storage for all gun ownership
Address mental health concerns with our youth to be proactive
Not expose children and our youth to violent entertainment and behaviors
Provide safety measures to all schools
My research to find ways to prevent school mass shootings and violence in our communities shows that
there are effective ways to prevent these casualties. We need to make sure that bullying is not being
tolerated, that minors do not have easy access to weapons, that we are addressing any mental health
concerns, that we are having these important authentic conversations with children, and not exposing
them to violent entertainment and behaviors. Teachers can only do so much, so it’s dire for parents and
loved ones to be more involved and address any concerns with their children.
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Results
In this section, I will present the results of my research. For each of the tasks I carried out, I will
present the most important data I’ve acquired.
Task 1: Research gun control in Texas
The results of my research prove that the State of Texas needs to reevaluate its gun laws and base its
decisions on data and facts. As stated previously, the majority of Texans would like tighter gun control
laws so that we can all feel safe – but especially for the safety of our children in public schools.
Schools should be a safe haven for children and our youth, but that has changed significantly in the last
few years. Unfortunately, we do not see progress, instead, we see things only getting worse. Our lenient
laws are too risky for everyone. “Texas does not require a gun owner or purchaser to obtain a license or
require a background check for private gun sales that take place at gun shows or online. Furthermore,
Texas does not ban or regulate assault weapons or high-capacity magazines. The state has not adopted
extreme risk protection laws that allow family members or law enforcement to petition the court to
temporarily remove firearms from an individual experiencing crises; does not provide funding for
community-based violence intervention programs; and has not adopted measures to protect women
against gun violence from domestic abusers” (Marissa, Edmund & Golden, 2022). Not only are
children at high risk at their schools, but we constantly hear in news about mass shootings occurring in
many different public places. Our schools, grocery stores, malls, concert arenas, nightclubs, parades,
medical buildings, and even churches are no longer safe. It seems as if we all need to be on high alert at
all times and this is not a healthy way to live. Giving the wrong people access to these dangerous
weapons is causing many catastrophes, traumas, and impacting the lives of all of us in so many ways.
We’ve recently learned from the Uvalde Elementary school shooting that no matter how many “good
guys” are around with weapons of their own, even professionals, a “good guy with a gun” is not the
solution to this dire problem. In this case, many officers waited over an hour to stop the mass shooting,
and because of that, 19 innocent children and 2 teachers were taken away from their families, loved
ones, and community.
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Task 2: Research school mass shootings in Texas
The results of my research will prove that not only is Texas at the top of the list of the most school
mass shootings but these numbers continue to increase.
Texas has had eight mass shootings in less than 10 years and we continue to discuss what could be
done to prevent the next one from occurring. I believe the answer to that is much simpler than we make
it. However, the focus in our state continues to not support the safety of our communities and schools,
but instead to protect the Second Amendment. The way many Texans see it is that one will prevent
more mass shootings, and the other will only increase these incidents.
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Task 3: Research ways to prevent gun violence in our communities
The results of my research prove that stronger and tighter gun laws will help prevent more mass
shootings in our State. By doing so, we will need to limit access to specific weapons, such as semi-
automatic weapons, especially to our youth. In addition, here are more strategies that we can follow to
be proactive and to keep everyone safe.
Implement gun safety laws: Raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic firearms from
18 to 21 years old to prevent school-age shooters from easily obtaining firearms.
Establish a culture of gun safety: Background checks are effective tools for keeping guns out
of the hands of the wrong people, especially those with dangerous criminal backgrounds.
Support community safety plans that include prevention and intervention: Help fund
programs that will offer meaningful educational opportunities for all students and community
members
Support gun violence research: Fund research that offers the public and policymakers
effective gun policies.
Provide mental health for all communities: Help fund programs that will offer family
counseling, mentoring,
Require safe and secure gun storage for all gun ownership: A law requiring people to store
firearms securely will prevent unauthorized access
Address mental health concerns with our youth to be proactive: Speak up if you see any
warning signs!
Not expose children and our youth to violent entertainment and behaviors: Violent
entertainment and behaviors are harmful and can cause increased aggressive thoughts, feelings,
and behaviors. This could also make children and our youth less sensitive to the suffering of
others.
Provide safety measures to all schools: Address violence at early stages, foster safe and
trusting school environments, implement increased security measures to prevent shooters’
access, and create an effective emergency planning protocol.
Conclusions
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In conclusion, my research shows there are effective ways to be proactive and prevent these mass
shootings that occur more often than they should – even one mass shooting is far too many. As
previously stated, the majority of Texans (like most Americans) would like our gun laws to change and
favor stricter gun control laws. However, there seems to be a disconnect between the public and our
policymakers. Even though there has been a consistent desire for stricter gun laws in our state, our GOP
leaders continue to ignore our requests and prove to us time after time that they have other priorities.
Every time a tragedy occurs, the victims’ families and loved ones get “thoughts and prayers”, but that
will not make a change. We vote for leaders that will have the best interest of their citizens and will
create laws that will keep us safe and prevent tragedies. We trust that they have our best interest, but it
feels as if there is no clear end in sight.
Making a positive difference is in our leaders’ hands and they are the ones that can implement effective
laws that will keep semi-automatic weapons out of the wrong people’s hands. If we are not allowed to
rent a vehicle or drink alcohol at the age of 18, we shouldn’t be allowed to own a weapon of war at that
age either.
Recommendations
Option 1: Raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic firearms from 18 to 21 years old.
In order to prevent school-age shooters from easily obtaining semi-automatic weapons, we need to
raise the minimum age allowed by law to purchase these dangerous weapons. Despite the belief that
raising the minimum age to buy an assault-style weapon is unconstitutional, what is more dangerous is
that young adults whose brains have not fully developed and tend to be more impulsive, are easily
gaining access to these weapons and causing many deaths of innocent children and young adults. These
assault weapons are weapons of war and should not have a place in regular society, but if it will be
more challenging to ban them, we should at the very minimum raise the age to legally purchase these
weapons.
Option 2: Require safe and secure gun storage for all gun owners.
Currently, there is no law in Texas about the storage of firearms and ammunition which can only
increase gun violence, suicides, homicides, accidental injuries, and deaths, and giving minors access to
these weapons. A law requiring people to store firearms securely will prevent unauthorized access to
those that should not have access to these weapons of war. Citizens should be required to learn about
the importance of safe gun storage and how to practice it at home. Although I do not believe this will
completely stop these mass shootings, if we continue to leave weapons unsecured, it will continue to be
dangerous for all of us.
References
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Cai, M., & Fernández, S. (2019, November 12). Texas mass shooting timeline: 13 years of violence in
Texas. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from
https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2019/texas-10-years-of-mass-shootings-timeline/
DeMitchell, T. A., & Rath, C. C. (2019). Armed and Dangerous -- Teachers? A Policy Response to
Security in Our Public Schools. Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal, 2019(1),
63–93.
Edmund, M. A., Barrio, A., & Golden, N. (2022, June 14). What counties and cities can do to curb gun
violence in Texas. Center for American Progress. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://
www.americanprogress.org/article/what-counties-and-cities-can-do-to-curb-gun- violence-in-
texas/
Gun safety. Beto for Texas. (2022, June 13). Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://betoorourke.com/issue/promote-gun-safety/
Gun violence must stop. here's what we can do to prevent more deaths. Prevention Institute. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://www.preventioninstitute.org/focus-areas/preventing-violence-and-reducing-injury/
preventing-violence-advocacy
Lurye, S. (2022, May 27). States with the most school shootings - US news & world report. States With
the Most School Shootings. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2022-05-27/states-with-the-most-school-
shootings
Scherer, J. (2022, July 6). Poll: Majority of Texas voters want tighter gun control measures, including
"red flag" laws. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Majority-of-Texas-voters-want-tighter-
gun-control-17287412.php
