Everytown, Texas Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Shooting at Houston School

The Texas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, today released the following statement after one person was shot at YES Prep Southwest Secondary in Houston. Details are still developing. 

“My heart aches for the YES Prep Southwest Secondary community and for everyone affected by this terrible shooting. Gun violence is a trauma no one should have to endure, in school or anywhere else, and one that far too many of us have had to,” said Gaby Diaz, a volunteer leader with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action and a teacher in Houston whose student was shot in 2011. “There’s so much more we must do to keep our schools and our communities safe from gun violence.”

“We shouldn’t have to worry about gun violence anywhere we go, least of all in school – but because of our lax gun laws, we have to,” said Sahara Oberoi, a volunteer with Carnegie Vanguard High School Students Demand Action. “How are we supposed to do our best in school when gun violence is constantly on our minds? It’s on our leaders at every level to implement common-sense solutions to every form of gun violence that affects students, both in and out of the classroom, but instead, state lawmakers passed permitless carry and put us in even more danger.”

In an average year, 3,455 people die by guns in Texas, and 9,173 are wounded. Firearms are the second leading cause of death among children and teens in Texas. Despite this, earlier this year, Texas lawmakers further weakened the state’s gun laws by passing a permitless carry bill allowing people to carry loaded handguns in public with no background check and no safety training over the objections of law enforcement, faith leaders, medical professionals, and more. 

Everytown’s fact sheet on proactive measures to prevent gun violence in schools is available here.