1999: FORT WORTHIn September 1999, a man shot and killed seven people and wounded seven others before taking his own life at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth.TEXAS GUN LAWSTexas does not require a license to carry a handgun or a rifle, although state law sets a handgun minimum age requirement at 21. Texas has also been an “open carry” state, which allows people to carry their weapons in plain view, since 2015, and eliminated the handgun license requirement in 2021.In the first regular legislative session after the Sutherland Springs massacre, Texas lawmakers in 2019 clarified state law to allow the carrying of weapons in houses of worship, unless specifically banned by a congregation with written and oral notice.Texas law does not require churches to provide armed security, although they are allowed to have volunteer security teams or hire security from law enforcement or licensed guards.
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