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Democracy Now!

'We're in Crisis:' Texas Democrats Demand Gun Control After Another AR-15 Mass Shooting Kills 5

This clip is from the May 3, 2023 broadcast.

Texas authorities have arrested the suspect in last week's mass shooting in the town of Cleveland and are charging him with five counts of murder. Police say Francisco Oropesa killed five neighbors in the home next door, including a 9-year-old child, after the family asked him to stop firing his AR-15-style rifle in his yard because it was keeping a baby awake. Texas Governor Greg Abbott drew backlash after the shooting for referring to the victims as "illegal immigrants," for which he later apologized. "His goal is to dehumanize people," Texas state Senator Roland Gutierrez says of Abbott, adding that the governor has done nothing to stem gun violence and easy access to weapons. "Republican policies across this country have led to a very loose gun policy that allows just about anybody, and certainly in Texas, to go find a weapon like an AR-15 with impunity."

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