Texas Republicans made it easier to buy and carry guns months before 19 kids were shot and killed at an elementary school

• A gunman killed at least 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.
• In recent months, Texas has made it increasingly easier to buy and carry guns.

Tuesday's school shooting at Robb Elementary School, which killed at least 19 children and two adults, came months after Republicans in Texas made it easier to buy and carry guns in the state.

Authorities say the gunman arrived at the school with two AR-15 style rifles and a handgun, the Houston Chronicle reported. In Texas, rifles can be bought at the age of 18.

The shooter legally purchased one of the rifles on May 17, the day after his 18th birthday, the Chronicle reported, citing authorities and Texas Sen. John Whitmire.

Texas has made it easier to purchase guns in recent months — despite the state's playing host to a series of mass shootings in recent memory, including the killing of a combined 30 people in El Paso and Odessa in 2019.

A new state law that came into force on September 1 allowed anyone aged over 21 to carry a handgun in most places without a permit or training. The bill was put forward by Texas Republicans.

Before the change, Texans had to pass a background check, take a safety course, and take a competency test to get a license.

At the time, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the permitless carry law was the "biggest and best" gun law of 2021 that "instilled freedom" in Texas.

In a statement given in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, President Joe Biden said the US had to move on arms control.

"We as a nation have to ask when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby. When in God's name do we do what we all know in our gut needs to be done?" Biden said.

Attempts to impose federal gun controls have also failed, largely as a result of the Senate filibuster.

In the Senate, most bills need to clear a 60-vote threshold to pass the floor, meaning Republican lawmakers have blocked Democrat-led attempts. The Democratic Party narrowly controls the 100-seat Senate with 50 seats plus Vice President Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker, though Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema often break with their party.

Speaking on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy urged his colleagues to impose arms control, saying: "What are we doing? What are doing?"

Later on Tuesday, Manchin ruled out the idea of scrapping the filibuster to pass gun-control laws, arguing that it was "the only thing that prevents us from total insanity."

The US firearms lobby has repeatedly said that the way to prevent mass shootings at schools is to place more armed personnel on site.

One of those, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, told MSNBC Tuesday that he didn't believe gun control was a solution.

"We know from past experience that the most effective tool for keeping kids safe is armed law enforcement on the campus," Cruz said.