SAN ANTONIO — "The horror that I’ve seen is just that. It’s a horror," said Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez.
Sitting in his San Antonio law office, Sen. Gutierrez is a visibly different man than he was back in May. It's the result of his fight for transparency in the Robb Elementary shooting investigation, which has exposed him to unimaginable details.
"To see videos of children’s bodies and faces mangled. I don’t get those images out of my head at night. I see them every night," he said before choking up. "It’s a hard thing."
Gutierrez represents Uvalde in the Texas Legislature, a body he says is partially to blame for what happened on May 24.
"Had that age limit been imposed four mass shootings ago, it wouldn’t have happened," Gutierrez said, referring to a proposal to raise the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. "We have to do something at the state level. We have to have an age limit increase from 18 to 21. I think most Republicans agree with me on that."
He'll find out soon enough. The 88th Texas legislative session convenes on Jan. 10, 2023.
"I know I’m going to tell my truth and the truth of those families," Gutierrez answered when asked whether he's hopeful about the upcoming session.
He added that victims' families will tell their truth as well, as he anticipates they will be at the Texas capitol as well.
"That’s why they are doing what they’re doing. So that no other parent goes through this kind of grief again," said Gutierrez.
He said he’s doing it so he never has to see the carnage left behind again.
"No one deserves this," he said.
KHOU 11 reached out to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, as well as the Texas GOP, to gauge their expectations for the next legislative session. We didn’t hear back, though it is the day before a holiday. But as recently as August, Governor Abbott said raising the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles is unconstitutional.