Texas law allows the open carry of semiautomatic rifles and does not require a background check

[DesertRat]

Shannon Watts @shannonrwatts

Reminder: Texas law allows the open carry of semiautomatic rifles and does not require a background check, training or an age limit. Walmart also allows open carry.

Lawmakers and companies are not protecting their constituents or their customers.

#elpasoshooting

Link to tweet

[Thomas Hurt]

1. Already seen comments from nutjobs saying everyone should be forced to carry guns...

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Walmart has tons of guns and ammo in their stores. Why didn't customers

fight back? The answer isn't more guns in all public places. Gun laws are.

[DesertRat]

3. Spot on

Link to tweet

@shannonrwatts
Walmart is not a gun-free zone. Some customers said they were armed. Yet at least 19 Walmart shoppers were killed, dozens more were injured, and the shooter was taken into custody without being shot.

[DVRacer]

6. That's incorrect

The property is owned by Simon Malls and all of their properties are marked gun free. In Texas those signs have legal consequences if ignored.

“Possession of any weapon at Simon malls, whether concealed or displayed openly, is in violation of mall policy. This policy is intended first and foremost to maintain a safe, secure and comfortable environment at our malls, which has always been our top priority, and to avoid any situation that could potentially place at risk the safety of our shoppers and employees.

Simon malls are private property, and like virtually every other facility in the community that is accessible by the public, ownership/management has the right to prohibit the possession of weapons, both displayed or concealed, other than licensed weapons carried by law enforcement personnel.

Julie Rigby – Longview Mall Manager”

[jimmy the one]

7. how & how often is this enforced

How rigidly are these firearm proscriptions enforced in the malls? What can mall security do with concealed firearm carriers? little unless the gun is inadvertently exposed, or, I doubt, metal detectors. Visitors openly carrying firearms would likely be asked to get rid of the gun or leave, but how often are they prosecuted unless they refuse? ditto actually, with ccw'ers who get caught.
Carrying an AK47 long gun in concealed would've been difficult, unless concealed in a faux carrying case, or limp walking with it. But possible.
Might have been prohibitions on guns in the mall, but texas has few. Might've been called a 'gun free zone' but texas is not, so not really; higher probability of ccw even if in violation.
The prevailing thought is that concealed firearm carriers will not, should not interfere or intervene in an active shooting unless they are certain and/or on the spot, due the uncertainty of who's who, and/or the frequency of surrounding people & subsequent legal consequences.
Thanks for posting this tho, DV. The full picture & all that.

[DVRacer]

9. Also the law changes 9/1/2019

The law now says if carrying in a posted place you shall be arrested. Next month it is changing to what you described and you will be asked to leave if you refuse then you shall be arrested. I just don’t want someone to say something that is wrong and have that derail any other conversation. I have learned people like to trip you up on one detail and use it to invalidate everything else.

[uponit7771]

4. Abbott is stupid on purpose too, he's the worst kind of opportunist

[Duppers]

5. K & R

[Blaukraut]

8. Guns should be treated like cigarettes. Banned inside buildings....

Relegated to 'gun corners', and gun carriers basically shunned or ridiculed. Private businesses can lead the way here.

[NightWatcher]

10. Where was one of those good guys with guns?

Oh yeah, he almost got his ass shot off so he grabbed some kids and helped them escape instead of getting in a shootout.

Nice theory pro-gunners. Tried. Failed. Next.

[DesertRat]

13. Exactly. nt

[NickB79]

11. Federal law requires a background check and minimum age requirement

And federal law trumps state law.

If you purchase a rifle in any state in the US from a gun store, you must follow federal firearms laws. If you purchase from a private seller, only then do those laws not apply.

[madville]

12. So if that changed how would it have stopped what happened today?

Most weapons used are legally purchased with a federal background check, I imagine this will be the case here as well. Some states are raising the purchase age to 21, this shooter was 21. Mass shooters don't care about open or concealed carry laws if they have decided to murder as many people as possible.

The only thing that will make any kind of impact is to completely outlaw these firearms, force current owners to give them up and make possession of them a serious felony, like 10 years minimum or something.

Of course the problem with any kind of weapons ban is there are always loopholes and workarounds. The 1994 AWB was mostly ineffective in it's intent because it grandfathered in all existing firearms and magazines and was largely unenforceable and easily subverted by the manufacturers because it focused on cosmetic appearance and not function.