Texas
Sister of Uvalde shooting victim testifies before Texas lawmakers: “I’m terrified to go back” to school
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Together with her voice shaking as she delivered testimony to lawmakers, Jazmin Cazares, the sister of Jackie Cazares, who was slain throughout a mass taking pictures final month at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, known as for tighter background checks, crimson flag legal guidelines and for lawmakers to “do one thing” to forestall future mass shootings.
“This morning round 5:30 a.m. I sat on my sister’s mattress and I cried, I cried and I cried,” she stated. “[Then] I wiped my tears, acquired in my automobile and drove 4 hours to get right here. I shouldn’t should be right here proper now. I must be at residence watching a film with my sister — it’s summer time.”
Cazares stated instructed lawmakers she was testifying in honor of her sister Jackie and her cousin Annabell Rodriguez, who was additionally killed by a gunman who took the lives of 19 youngsters and two lecturers. She known as Jackie “one of many sweetest souls anybody will ever meet” and stated her household was nonetheless in shock as they proceed to study particulars of the taking pictures, saying there are indicators the gunman might have been stopped earlier than he dedicated the bloodbath on the college.
“I’m right here begging for you guys to do one thing,” Cazares stated. “I’m right here to honor Jackie, her pals, their households, my household and my neighborhood. You possibly can honor them, too, by passing gun security laws.”
Cazares stated she has one yr left of highschool however she is not sure whether or not she’ll return to high school subsequent yr.
“I’m terrified for my life to return,” she stated. “I’ve senior yr and that’s it. Am I going to outlive it? It’s unbelievable. Completely unbelievable.”
Cazares stated lawmakers ought to come collectively to cross crimson flag legal guidelines, which might enable native officers to take somebody’s weapons away if a decide declares them to be a hazard, and stated they may save lives. She additionally known as for stricter background checks for gun gross sales.
“Background checks are wanted to guard harmless communities like mine from being in peril by people who find themselves unstable and sign that they’re threats,” she stated.
Cazares’ testimony was instantly by that of taking pictures survivor and former state lawmaker Suzanna Hupp, who advocated in opposition to stricter background checks and different gun security laws. Hupp, whose dad and mom had been slain in a 1991 taking pictures at Luby’s cafeteria after she left her gun in her automobile for concern of dropping her gun license, additionally pushed for the state to “finish gun-free zones.”
Hupp turned a gun rights advocate and helped push for Texas to permit individuals to legally carry hid weapons. She additionally served within the Legislature.
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