The ongoing struggle with mass shootings in Texas.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republicans have repeatedly cited mental health issues as the root cause of mass shootings in the state, but there is little evidence to support this claim. Texas has a critical shortage of mental health professionals, and increased funding for mental health services may not have a meaningful impact on preventing gun violence. Gun rights advocates often push the narrative that mental health issues, rather than guns, are the root cause of gun violence, but research shows that blaming America’s gun violence epidemic on mental health issues obscures the much stronger link between gun ownership and gun deaths. There is also concern that linking mental health and violence can reinforce the stigma around mental health issues and lead to less treatment.