Originally scheduled for July 15 and 16, 2023, the Allen Gun Show is canceled. The decision was made by organizers, Premier Guns Shows, as part of an agreement with the city of Allen.
Just two weeks after the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, it was announced that the show in Allen would not proceed. (Another gun show in Bedford set for May 26 and 27 was also canceled.) Premier Gun Shows did not say if the cancellation was in response to the May 6, 2023 mall shooting.
The company has two additional shows planned for Allen this year in September and November. However, there is no information available yet regarding the status of those shows. Local Profile reached out to the city of Allen for comment but did not receive a response prior to publishing.
Several representatives in the Collin County area agreed to consider gun control measures after the shooting.
State Rep. Jeff Leach, whose district includes parts of Plano, Allen and Dallas, believes that the recent shooting will prompt changes in policies. Leach is the fourth Republican lawmaker in Texas to express openness to discussing the enhancement of gun regulations.
Three days after the tragedy at Allen Premium Outlets, state Rep. Frederick Frazier, also a Republican from Collin County who was shopping at the mall before the shooting, said he is “absolutely” willing to consider changes, especially to laws surrounding AR-15-style weapons.
“I’m a Republican through and through, but this needs to be when we come together and figure out how to fix this,” Frazier said. “Are we making it too easy for them to get these weapons? Why is that particular weapon the weapon of choice every time?”
On May 8, two Republican state Representatives from Texas, Sam Harless from Houston and Justin Holland from Rockwall, joined Democrats in supporting House Bill 2744. The bill aimed to increase the minimum purchase age for AR-style rifles. Although the bill did not meet the deadline to progress to the full chamber, the unexpected support from these conservative representatives provided a rare boost to gun control arguments in Texas.
