Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional comments from Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter.

In the wake of the May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde, Austin City Council is eyeing a pair of measures that could restrict certain firearm sales in the city for those under the age of 21 and support several other violence-prevention initiatives.

One of two gun violence resolutions on council's June 16 agenda would ask City Manager Spencer Cronk to determine how Austin might be able to raise the age threshold for the purchase of semiautomatic rifles, including "AR-15-style weapons," from 18 to 21. The proposal is sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter, who referenced people under age 21 using such weapons to commit mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo in May as a reason for the city to explore a "narrowly targeted" increased age limit in line with alcohol, nicotine and handgun sales.

“Tell me why an 18-year-old needs an AR-15. It just defies logic,” Alter told Community Impact Newspaper. “While it’s not been taken care of at the state and federal level, that is a function of politics. There is a very strong public opinion in favor of taking these reasonable steps to keep our community safe. This is not even about gun control; this is gun safety and responsibility.”

While handgun sales are restricted to 21-year-olds and above under federal law, Texas has long allowed the sales of shotguns and rifles—including AR-15-style guns—to 18-year-olds. District 8 Council Member Paige Ellis, one of the measure's cosponsors, said the proposals come partially in response to the recent mass shootings and community concerns about gun safety in Austin.


"There’s no place that’s safe anymore. Schools aren't safe, grocery stores, movie theaters, places of worship. There’s no place anymore where people feel like an active shooter is not going to run it at a certain moment," Ellis said in an interview. "Everybody’s on pins and needles about this, and especially when you have young children, it’s incredibly frightening.”

If council signs off on the resolution this week, Cronk would be directed to detail a plan to potentially impose the new age limit by late July, when officials are scheduled for their next voting session.

The second measure outlines several updates to local violence-prevention efforts and also appeals to state and federal legislators to take further action on gun-related policies. That resolution, sponsored by Ellis, includes requests for lawmakers to look at items backed by council ranging from expanded background checks and safe gun storage efforts to a national assault weapons ban and limits on semiauto rifle sales to those under age 21.

“There’s a lot of people frustrated with not seeing elected officials taking action on these big gun violence situations. And when we are asked by our constituents to try to do something to help, we really wanted to put pen to paper and map out what is in our power to change right now," Ellis said. "It’s unfortunate when you kind of are relying on state and federal legislators to try to make important changes for the community that would keep people safe, and it either takes too long, or it just doesn’t get done. And so you get frustrated, and you take matters into your own hands.”


With those reservations, Ellis and other council members also pointed to reports on the progress of a gun safety and mental health package that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators are developing for congressional consideration. Officials said that work demonstrates some of the progress that can be made based on consensus on certain policies.

The Ellis-sponsored gun violence resolution would direct city management to pursue funding for increased OVP staffing, programs such as safe gun storage campaigns and local data collection targeting ammunition purchases by convicted felons. The measure also requests a formal report on those and previous gun violence proposals from council by late September.

The two resolutions appear on council's agenda one week after city officials formally proclaimed June as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Austin and held a community forum centered on discussions about gun violence prevention strategies and collaboration between Central Texas officials and law enforcement.

“We are on track for where we could be, but there is hopefully a lot more that we can leverage out of this process and the expertise that we’ve been assembling,” Alter said.


Both city and county leaders said they are continuing to respond to local gun violence after a year that saw firearms involved in 88 homicides throughout Travis County, including the killings of 13 children. The Austin Police Department last year began an initiative aimed at gun crimes downtown that saw dozens of people arrested and the seizure of more than 100 firearms. And within the city, the office of violence prevention, or OVP, is working on community-oriented public health strategies its leaders believe can help curb shootings in the city.

Alter said that, while the OVP is in its early days, the office’s work so far is building up capacity to address violence in the community.

“It is right on track for its stage in its development. It is not yet at the stage where it is delivering day-to-day tangible movement in our rates, but we will get there,” she said.