I am a survivor of gun violence. I’ve been held up at gunpoint twice. The first time, the gunman shoved his automatic in my ribs. The second time, the gunman pointed his revolver at my face. The police always ask the funniest questions: “What did the gun look like?” Deadly. The gun always looks deadly.
I am also the mother of a former University of Texas, Austin student. On the morning of September 28, 2010, my daughter’s bus was the last one to go onto campus when a “security event” was called. When she got into the building, she called me. What I learned then scared me even more than having a gun shoved in my ribs or pointed in my face. The “security event” was an active shooter on campus! My heart still races when I remember that morning. There was only one death that day — the shooter. He died by suicide. He never should have had that firearm.