Hundreds rally in Austin to demand Governor Abbott take action on assault-style rifles
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) — Brett Cross' son was among the 19 children and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
On Saturday, he and other victims' families addressed hundreds of people at the March For Our Lives rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol. "Fight with us and demand change because you don't want to be fighting from this side with a whole in your heart that cannot go away."
"It's time to set aside politics and act. We demand you call a special session immediately to raise the minimum age to purchase an assault weapon to 21. Our children's lives depend on common sense laws."
Those here said the 18-year-old gunman should not have been able to buy two AR-15 style rifles legally.
If the Governor won't help change the law, the crowd chanted how they want voters to respond in November.
"Vote him out, vote him out."
Governor Abbott's Press Secretary Renae Eze issued a statement in part saying, "Governor Abbott has taken immediate action to address all aspects of the heinous crime committed in Uvalde, including issuing six directives to make schools safer and working with Texas legislative leadership to provide $105.5 million to support additional school safety and mental health initiatives. The Governor also requested the Texas legislature work together on legislative recommendations to make schools safer."
Ana Rodriguez also spoke to the crowd after her daughter Maite also died in Uvalde. "It's been three months since I last hugged my daughter, seeing her smile, held her hand or kiss her good night."
She said she had to come to be part of the fight to change state law. "I'm not asking them to ban guns. I'm not taking away hunters' rifles, change the age from 18 to 21. Why is it absolutely necessary for an 18-year-old to be able to purchase an assault rifle?"
Families of the victims from the Santa Fe High School shooting four years ago came to show their support for the families from Uvalde.
Flo Rice is a substitute teacher who survived that shooting and she and her husband Scot back the effort to raise the minimum age to 21 to buy an assault-style rifle.
They're hopeful, but not confident lawmakers will hear and act on their message.
Scot Rice said, "We've heard all the promises, we've heard all the rhetoric, and nothing seems to change."
Their demands come as a federal judge in Fort Worth just this week ruled that the state's law prohibiting 18, 19, and 20 year olds from carrying a handgun outside their home, based solely on the age, violates the second amendment."
Judge Mark Pittman stayed his injunction for 30 days to give the state a chance to appeal.
Flo Rice said she isn't discouraged. "I think it can be done, now whether they will do it, they chose to have these laws that are very lax. That's Texas' choice."
Ana Rodriguez acknowledged the judge's ruling may hurt their effort. "But it's not going to stop us. We're going to keep going. There's 21 families. The power is in the numbers. Hopefully, Uvalde keeps supporting us, Austin, all of Texas keeps supporting us."