AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gun safety advocates and families impacted by school shootings spoke at the Texas Capitol building Monday in conjunction with the Parkland High School Bus Tour in Austin.
The parents of Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, a student killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting, are driving a bus across the country, “to shed light on the dire effects of gun violence across the nation.”
Manuel and Patricia Oliver were joined by Texas Rep. Vikki Goodwin and families impacted by the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde and the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting near Houston.
“Joaquin was shot four times. He suffered. He died slowly,” his father, Manuel said. “And that was not enough for the whole nation to learn the lesson. Shame on us.”
The Olivers will visit more than 20 more cities touched by gun violence as part of their bus tour.
“I am sad that we need to do this, but this is our duty today,” Patricia Oliver said. “There’s nothing we can do to bring Joaquin back, but at least we can do a lot to bring awareness of gun violence.”
The Texas Coalition to End Gun Violence also presented a series of legislative recommendations that they say could prevent future mass shootings.
“We don’t want to take your precious guns away. We just want common sense gun laws that will stop this senseless killing,” said Velma Duran, whose sister, Irma Garcia, was killed in Uvalde.
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