Gun Safety Advocates Across Texas Renew Calls to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Teenagers and Children Following Growing Trend of Youth Gun Violence in the State

AUSTIN – The Texas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statements urging lawmakers to consider gun safety measures that will keep deadly weapons out of the hands of children and teens after a 14-year old girl was shot and killed by a classmate in a targeted shooting in Baytown, Texas. This is only the latest tragedy in a worrying trend in Texas. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 69 instances of gun violence where someone younger than 21 has shot and killed or wounded someone else in 2025.

“The reality is that we fear gun violence in school, but young people like me are actually more likely to be shot and killed when we’re outside of school grounds,” said Mireya Rodriguez, a gun violence survivor and Students Demand Action volunteer leader. “What’s worse, is that sometimes we are being gunned down by our peers who should not be able to access a gun in the first place. From the school bus stop to the mall to a public park, there is not a single place we can feel safe. Why don’t our lawmakers care?”  

“I’m saddened to hear of another life cut short in a tragedy because someone – a young person – had access to a firearm and should not have,” said Isabella Spartz, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “I’m even more saddened by the fact that adults continue to fail the young Texans in our lives by refusing to store their guns securely, or, in the case of our lawmakers, failing to take action on gun safety measures. We protect our kids with seatbelts in the car, why can’t we do the same with guns?” 

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in Texas, and research shows that 18- to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 and older. In fact, one in 10 young people killed by gun homicide in the entire U.S. are Texans. Lawmakers in the state have the opportunity to address both of these sobering statistics this year to keep guns out of the hands of children and teens by: 

• Raising the age to purchase certain semi-automatic firearms from 18 to 21. Currently, Texas’ gun laws set a dangerously low minimum age for buying firearms and a survey from earlier this year by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston found widespread support among Texans for a range of gun safety measures, including that 85% of Texans support raising the age to purchase AR-15-style assault rifles from 18 to 21. 

• Requiring the secure storage of all firearms. Secure storage of firearms keeps firearms out of the hands of children and other unauthorized users by storing firearms unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. Roughly three-quarters of school shooters under 18 gained access to the gun used from the home of a parent or close family member.

Texas has weak gun safety laws, ranking #32 in the country for Gun Law Strength. In an average year, 4,330 people die by guns and another 7,726 people are wounded by guns in Texas. More information about gun violence in Texas is here.