State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) remembered the second anniversary of the Midland-Odessa shooting on Aug. 31.
"It has been two years since the Midland-Odessa shooting, which forever changed our community," Seliger said in a Twitter post. "Seven of our neighbors here in #SD31 had their lives taken that day and I pray for their families. We will always remember and honor the victims who lost their lives as well as their families and so many in our community who were impacted that day."
The shooting left seven people dead and injured dozens, according to a press release.
"This senseless act of violence marked a very dark period for Midland-Odessa, and we will never forget our fellow Texans whose lives were taken that day. In the wake of this attack, Texans across our state came together to support their brothers and sisters grieving in Midland and Odessa, and the state took immediate action to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press release.
The tragedy's two-year mark came a day before the Leilah Hernandez Act, which Abbott signed into law, went into effect. Hernandez was the youngest among the deceased, according to a NewsWest9 article.
The act paved the way for the creation of an active shooter alert system for the state, according to the NewsWest9 article.
"We remember and honor the lives lost in Midland-Odessa two years ago. We also continue to pray for the victims' families and loved ones, and we thank the brave men and women of law enforcement who bravely responded to the attack that day. Together we will continue to work toward a safer and brighter future for all Texans," Abbott said in the press release.
In response to the shooting, Abbott issued eight executive orders directing state law enforcement to enhance anti-mass violence measures, called upon the Texas Safety Commission to identify any shortcomings in our systems, and promoted the Texas Department of Public Safety's safe gun storage campaign, according to a press release.