Texas has loosened gun laws in recent years
From CNN's Emma Tucker
Texas has loosened restrictions on gun ownership in recent years amid several high-profile mass shootings that have devastated its communities.
Recent shootings include an incident in
Uvalde, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school last May.
In 2021,
legislation went into effect allowing most Texans who legally own a firearm to carry it openly in public without obtaining a permit or training.
A
2022 study found that states with weaker gun laws have higher rates of gun deaths, including homicides and suicides.