Shooting in Texas: six wounded and one killed, what happened?
A gunman opened fire at a cabinet manufacturing plant in Bryan, Texas, sparking further debate about gun control legislation in the United States.
Texas law enforcement officials have confirmed that a mass-shooting at a cabinet-making facility in Bryan, Texas has left one person dead and injured at least six others. It is thought that the gunman, who has since been taken into custody, was an employee of Kent Moore Cabinets.
The attack is the latest in a spate of mass shootings across the United States and is the 14th so far in April, as recorded by the Gun Violence Archive, in just eight days Earlier this week President Joe Biden announced a series of executive orders aimed at tackling the surge in gun violence, but has faced push-back.
What happened in the Texas shooting?
As reported by the New York Times, the employee opened fire at the cabinet manufacturing plant with a handgun on Thursday afternoon. One person was killed and four others were left in a critical condition. A sixth person was left with minor injuries and another sustained a medical-related emergency during the attack.
Police attended the scene shortly after 2:30pm but Lt. Jason James, a spokesman for the Bryan Police Department, reported that by then “it was already over with.” The gunman fled and shot a Texas state trooper who attempted to apprehend him around 30 miles northeast of Bryan. The officer is in a serious but stable condition and underwent surgery on Thursday evening.
At around 4:20pm the suspect was arrested near Bedias, Texas, roughly two hours after the initial shooting. The gunman’s name has not yet been released and police are investigating what may have sparked the attack. Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske said that the force had already interviewed between 50 to 60 Kent Moore Cabinets employees.
Texas government dismisses Biden’s gun control efforts
Not only has the US been experiencing a worrying spate as mass shootings in recent weeks, but Texas has been a particular hotspot. Thursday’s attack has been the state's third mass shooting in April alone, bringing this month’s total to seven dead and ten injured.
Earlier on Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted to denounce the fairly moderate gun control legislation proposed by Biden. He argued that the executive orders constituted a threat to resident’s second amendment rights, calling it “a new liberal power grab to take away our guns.”
The executive actions Biden is preparing to introduce would include tighter regulation of concealed assault-style weapons and enforce background checks for so-called ‘ghost guns’, makeshift firearms that lack serial numbers.
The Department of Justice will be tasked with producing new ‘red flag’ gun ownership legislation which would give courts the power to temporarily confiscate firearms if the owner is deemed a threat. There will also be a new report into the state of firearms trafficking in the United States and a redirection of federal money to help prevent gun violence in communities.