After Mass Shooting, It's Some Politicians' Mental Health, Not Guns, Houston Public Media

Mass shootings like the one in Allen’s warning call for gun reforms and point to mental health issues. But change rarely happens in either.

Some lawmakers blame mental health problems for mass shootings, not guns. Gov. Greg Abbott said this on Fox News after a gunman killed eight people at a mall in Allen.

“We are working to address this anger and violence by going to its root cause, which is to address the mental health issues behind it,” Abbott told Fox News.

But critics say lawmakers are using mental health as a way to distract from their lack of action on gun reforms.

“It’s a way for those who know they won’t vote with us for political reasons on reasonable gun safety measures to try to distract and divert the conversation,” said Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense. His group defends against armed violence.

Republican U.S. Rep. Keith Self, who represents Allen, also pointed to mental health as a reason for mass shootings after Allen.

“However, we have people with mental health that we’re not taking care of,” Self told CNN.

Chris McNutt, president of Texas Gun Rights, said in an interview with KERA before the shooting that politicizing gun violence blocks mental health reforms.

“The politicization is what’s holding us back from trying to dig into what would be some legitimate mental health reforms that are completely unrelated to guns,” he said.

Mauricio García, the gunman, was discharged from the army in 2008 due to “mental health problems”. according to the news. Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Hank Sibley said Garcia purchased all of his guns legally. He had three with him and five more in the car.

Golden said mental health is not the root cause of mass shootings.

“If this is true, we should strengthen our background check system,” he said.

Several bills in the legislature sought to do this. But Golden said most did not come forward.

Alison Mohr Boulware said most people with a mental health diagnosis are not violent. She is the director of policy at the University of Texas at Austin Hogg Foundation. He said people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence.

Mohr Boulware said blaming mental health for mass shootings adds to the stigma.

“The last thing we want is to increase the stigma so that people are not willing to get the help they need,” Mohr Boulware said.

Bills in the legislature also sought to create an appropriation for mental health services in Texas schools. But Mohr Boulware said none of them had committee hearings. He said other bills allowed schools to spend money from safety funding on mental health services. But he said schools tend to spend that money on increasing building security.

Abbott pledged in his 2023 commencement address to make mental health and school safety a priority this session.

“An essential part of our schools is safety,” Abbott said. “We must prioritize protecting students and staff. We must provide mental health services to students who need them.”

Abbott’s press secretary told KERA in an email that Abbott has always worked diligently to fully fund and expand mental health programs. He said current budget discussions could increase funding for mental health from $8.9 billion to $11 billion.

Other mental health bills also faced roadblocks. Rep. Mihaela Plesa introduced a bill that would have required Medicaid to cover psychosis treatment. His district includes Allen.

Greg Hansch said that the homicide rate of people who receive this treatment decreases 15 times. He is the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Texas.

Rep. Jeff Leach added an amendment to the bill that changed “shall” to “may,” which Hansch said “gutted” the bill. Leach’s district also includes Allen.

Leach spoke on the House floor during the memorial recognition for the shooting victims. He said he didn’t think the mass shooting in Allen was preventable.

“I’m not sure there’s any bill in front of us this morning, this session, that could have prevented this,” Leach said.

Leach co-sponsored the bill that became the state’s permitless carry law.

Golden said there were moderate gun reforms that would have made a difference in gun violence, such as House Bill 220, which would have marked revoked and suspended licenses to carry.

“There was low-hanging fruit that I really would have liked to see happen,” he said.

Golden said most people support common-sense gun reforms, such as background checks and raising the age to purchase a firearm in Texas to 21. Found a survey from the University of Texas at Austin that 76% of Texans said they support raising the age. But Abbott has said he opposes doing so.

Just days after the Allen shooting, a Texas House committee advanced an invoice this would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic rifles. But the bill did not move forward after losing one key term

Other gun reform bills didn’t get as far. Golden said lawmakers are not moving these bills forward because of the gun lobby. Abbott received $20,700 in contributions from gun rights supporters and groups, according to Follow the Money. Leach netted $1,750.

Time is running out to pass gun or mental health legislation in Texas before the session ends. That could mean the same conversations will be repeated the next time there’s a mass shooting.

McNutt said repeating the same argument doesn’t help.

“We’re telling everybody no, you’re not going to take our guns,” he said. “And we see it again and again, and nothing is resolved.”

Do you have a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org. Caroline Love is one Report for America KERA News corps member. KERA News is made possible by the generosity of our members. If you find this report valuable, please consider make a tax-deductible gift today. Thanks.