Four of the eight people killed in the North Texas attack were of Asian descent. Law enforcement officials said the gunman held neo-Nazi beliefs.
Criminal Justice
Get the latest Texas Tribune coverage on criminal justice, including crime, courts, law enforcement, and reforms shaping the state’s justice system.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Driver of SUV in Brownsville crash that killed 8 migrants had drugs in his system, police say
George Alvarez, the man charged in the deaths of eight people after his vehicle rammed a crowd in front of a Brownsville migrant shelter, had cocaine, benzodiazepines and marijuana in his system at the time, police said Tuesday.
Posted in
Allen Mall Shooting
“Right wing death squad”: What to know about the Allen shooter’s neo-Nazi views
The shooter’s “RWDS” patch offers troubling clues about his ideology — and how it connects to views that are common among white supremacists.
Posted in
Allen Mall Shooting
“Nothing bad happens here”: Allen residents say shooting has shattered the town’s sense of safety
A mass shooting at this suburb’s community hub — the outlet mall — has punctured the sense of security that drew many to Allen. “That could have been me and my boys,” one local woman said.
Posted in
The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Texas public records loophole lets cities keep suicide reports from families of dead soldiers
Texas law allows officials to withhold police records if no one was convicted in a case. At least one city has used this rule to deny the release of suicide records. A new bill aims to close this loophole.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
In surprise move days after Allen mall shooting, Texas House panel OKs bill raising age to buy semi-automatic rifles
The legislation would raise the minimum age for purchasing certain firearms but likely wouldn’t have been a hindrance to the Allen gunman obtaining a weapon. The bill still faces an uphill climb in the Legislature.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Despite decades of mass shootings in Texas, legislators have failed to pass meaningful gun control laws
State lawmakers have rejected dozens of bills that would have prevented people from legally obtaining weapons used in many mass shootings. Instead, they’ve made it easier for residents to get guns and harder for local governments to regulate them.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Driver charged with manslaughter after running red light and killing eight pedestrians in Brownsville
Police said it’s still not known if the driver intentionally struck the crowd of immigrants waiting at a bus stop.
Posted in
Guns in Texas
Mass shooting timeline: 14 years of violence in Texas
Texas has seen nine mass shootings over the last 14 years while lawmakers have steadily loosened restrictions on carrying firearms.
Posted in
Operation Lone Star
Gov. Greg Abbott focuses on border security in first address since Allen and Brownsville tragedies
Abbott announced the deployment of new “Texas Tactical Border Force” units to El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley on Monday and Tuesday.
