The Texas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement in response to a domestic violence related mass shooting in McGregor that left five people dead. On Thursday morning, a man shot and killed his wife and two children. According to reports, he also shot and killed two other neighbors before being wounded by McGregor police when they responded to the scene.
“Our hearts are with the families impacted by this horrific tragedy,” said Elizabeth Hanks, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “There are far too many Texans enduring dangerous domestic violence situations like this one, and thanks to our weak gun laws, those situations can turn deadly in an instant. To keep Texas families safe, lawmakers must do more to keep guns out of the hands of those who are a danger to themselves or others.”
Domestic violence and gun violence are closely intertwined. In fact, research shows that access to a gun makes domestic violence situations far more deadly. Over 3.7 million women have reported being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner. With lax gun laws and high rates of gun ownership, Texas is no stranger to this type of violence. In 2019, 73 women were fatally shot by an intimate partner in Texas. Additionally, nearly 3 in 4 children and teens killed in mass shootings died in an incident connected to domestic violence.
The ripple effects of domestic violence ripple far beyond the abusive relationship. And like many other forms of gun violence, the deadly intersection of guns and domestic violence has a disproportionate impact on communities of color, particularly Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latinx women. More information on the intersection of domestic abuse and gun violence is available here.
In an average year, 3,647 people die and 5,556 more are wounded by guns in Texas. Guns are the leading cause of death among the state’s youth population. Gun violence costs Texas $51.3 billion each year. More information about gun violence in Texas is available here.
