Texas lawmaker: Church massacre won’t change constituents’ views on gun rights

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) says he sees no change in how Texans view the Second Amendment days after the deadliest mass shooting in the state.

“The Second Amendment is very strong and will remain strong there,” Cuellar told reporters as he prepared to travel to San Antonio with Vice President Pence.

Pence will visit with victims from Sunday’s church shooting that killed 26 people.

Cuellar, whose district includes Sutherland Springs, where the shooting took place, was also critical that the gunman, 26-year-old Devin Kelley, was able to purchase firearms despite a domestic violence conviction. That conviction led him to be discharged from the Air Force, but was never reported to federal law enforcement. That disclosure would have barred him from buying guns.

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The 2014 convictions in a military court-martial led to Kelley’s bad-conduct discharge from the Air Force. The military branch, though, failed to enter that information in a federal database.

Kelley killed at least 26 people and wounded several others on Sunday when he opened fire at a church service in the small Texas town of only about 600. He later died of what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound after two men gave chase from the scene.

“There were three different opportunities when they should have sent that information,” Cuellar told reporters Wednesday.

He also said he is working with Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) on legislation to strengthen background checks for firearms purchases.

Cornyn on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require all federal agencies to share conviction information to a national database.