Texas Shooting Spurs Guns Debate
Mike Theiler/UPI
We ran the numbers: There are 481 news articles covering this topic. 11% (55) are left leaning, 47% (227) center, 41% (199) right leaning.
On Sunday, a man in a trench coat opened fire during a church service in the suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas. Within seconds, two-armed security volunteers returned fire, and one of them killed the gunman.
A left-leaning article by The New York Times highlights the two sides of the nation’s long debate over mass shootings. While gun rights advocates continue to argue that a well-armed public is more effective than placing limits on buying and using firearms, gun control advocates argue that taking high-powered weaponry out of the hands of dangerous individuals can save more lives. The article also reports that West Freeway Church of Christ’s volunteer security team is one of a number of measures adopted by churches, synagogues, and mosques across the country as a response to the increasing number of mass shootings that target worshippers.
A centrist article by Associated Press News reports that after the shooting, Texas officials hailed the state’s gun laws, which include a measure enacted this year that affirmed the right of licensed handgun holders to carry a weapon in places of worship, unless banned. The article also reports that the Texas shooter had a criminal record, which included assault charges in Oklahoma and Arizona, as well as an arrest in 2016 after police found him with 12-guage shotgun and rounds wrapped in plastic in the area of an oil refinery.
A right-leaning article by Fox News highlights praise from Republicans that credit changes in Texas state law to the fact that the gunman was fatally shot six seconds after opening fire. The article reports that Donna Campbell, co-sponsor of the gun bill, said, “It makes no sense to disarm the good guys and leave law-abiding citizens defenseless where violent offenders break the law to do great harm.” Meanwhile, at a press conference after the shooting, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said, “The immediate responder is the most important... Because even though the chief’s brave officers were here in less than a minute … by the time they got here, the shooting was over.”
From the right
Texas Republican credits church security team change in state law after shooting
Fox News