KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — 34 years ago today, the Luby's cafeteria in Killeen became the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in Texas history, forever changing the lives of survivors and families affected by the tragedy.
"And that was the first time I realized, wait a minute, he's just here to shoot people," survivor Suzanne Hupp told 25 News, recalling the horrific moments that unfolded on Oct. 16, 1991.
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Decades later, Hupp said it was hard to understand what was happening eight years before even the mass shooting at Columbine.
On that October day, a gunman crashed his pickup into the Luby's cafeteria in Killeen and shot and killed 23 people.
The gunman then killed himself after a standoff with law enforcement.
The incident prompted discussions about gun control across the country, but Hupp went to Austin and Washington and blamed Texas's gun regulations.
Both her parents died in the shooting, and her own .38 pistol was locked in her car out of reach because at the time it was illegal for her to have it in her purse.
"I'm not mad at the guy that did this. The guy that did it was a lunatic. That's like being mad at a rabid dog," Hupp said in front of lawmakers.
"I'm mad at my legislators for legislating me out of the right to protect myself and my family," she said.
In 1995, then-Governor George W. Bush signed legislation to let Texans carry concealed firearms.
Hupp kept advocating for gun rights after the Luby's shooting and was elected to the state house in 1996. She served for 10 years.
The Luby's where the tragedy happened closed down in 2000. There is a memorial down the street from the site. The building is still there now, operating as a Chinese buffet.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
