<div> Data: Everytown for Gun Safety. Chart: Jared Whalen and Kavya Beheraj/Axios Assault weapons are playing a bigger role in Texas mass shootings, per a new national <a href="https://link.axios.com/click/32819652.137/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2JyaWRnZT91cmw9aHR0cHM6Ly9zbW9raW5nZ3VuLm9yZy9ndW5zLXVzZWQtaW4tdGhlLWRlYWRsaWVzdC11LXMtbWFzcy1zaG9vdGluZy8mcz0xMjUwMjUmbj0yMGFkZGZmOCZ0PTUyOGNmOTJjNWVjNTkzMDM5M2YxOTA3ZTVkN2ZlYzE3NWQ2MDgyODEmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3A/616585d8ec66e30426613ca3B7bb01b0f?utm_medium=partner&utm_source=microsoft-start&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=subs-partner-msoft-dallas" rel=nofollow target=_blank> database </a> . Why it matters: More than twice as many people are killed in mass shootings involving assault weapons and high-capacity magazines than shootings involving other types of guns, according to The Smoking Gun database. Threat level: Nine of 14, or 64%, of mass shootings in Texas since 2016 involved assault weapons, according to the database by Everytown, a group co-founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that advocates for gun restrictions. <ul><li> Nationally, assault weapons were used in 35% of mass shootings since 2016. </li><li> Assault weapons weren't used in Texas mass shootings before 2016. </li><li> Texas accounts for five of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. </li></ul><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> What they did: Everytown researchers spent six months identifying guns used in mass shootings, sourcing photos, police reports, and news articles to build the database. <ul><li> The researchers also gathered examples of marketing campaigns by major manufacturers that feature images of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkIYl8FAfh0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&stream=top" rel=nofollow target=_blank> children holding weapons </a> or photos of <a href="https://smokinggun.org/issue/toxic-marketing/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&stream=top" rel=nofollow target=_blank> frontline soldiers </a> with the tagline "use what they use." </li></ul> The other side: "The NRA's position and belief is that law-abiding AR-15 owners and other firearms owners aren't the issue; criminals are," National Rifle Association spokesperson Billy McLaughlin tells Axios. <ul><li> An AR-15-style Daniel Defense gun was used in the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde. </li><li> Two months later, Daniel Defense former CEO Marty Daniel said the company bore no responsibility for the rise in mass shootings, according to a 2022 article in the <a href="https://link.axios.com/click/32819652.137/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNy8yNy91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9hc3NhdWx0LXdlYXBvbnMtcmV2ZW51ZS5odG1sP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/616585d8ec66e30426613ca3B3029207f?utm_medium=partner&utm_source=microsoft-start&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=subs-partner-msoft-dallas" rel=nofollow target=_blank> New York Times </a> . </li></ul><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Flashback: In May, a Texas House committee <a href="https://link.axios.com/click/32819652.137/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjMvMDUvMDgvdGV4YXMtbWFzcy1zaG9vdGluZ3MtZ3VuLWJpbGw_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3A/616585d8ec66e30426613ca3B554e8d96?utm_medium=partner&utm_source=microsoft-start&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=subs-partner-msoft-dallas" rel=nofollow target=_blank> advanced a bill </a> increasing the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy certain semi-automatic rifles, but it never got a vote. <a href="https://www.axios.com/signup/dallas?utm_source=microsoft-start&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=subs-partner-msoft-dallas" rel=nofollow target=_blank> Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas. </a></div>

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Data: Everytown for Gun Safety. Chart: Jared Whalen and Kavya Beheraj/AxiosAssault weapons are playing a bigger role in Texas mass shootings, per a new national database.Why it matters: More than twice as many people are killed in mass shootings involving assault weapons and high-capacity magazines than shootings involving other types of guns, according to The Smoking Gun database.Threat level: Nine of 14, or 64%, of mass shootings in Texas since 2016 involved assault weapons, according to the database by Everytown, a group co-founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that advocates for gun restrictions.Nationally, assault weapons were used in 35%...