LIVE: Shooting victims and families talk to Texas lawmakers about mass violence

ODESSA, Texas (Nexstar) — Victims of recent Texas shootings and familiy members of those killed are sharing their personal stories with state lawmakers.

The Senate Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety is hosting a field hearing in Odessa on Thursday.

The focus of the hearing is to “learn firsthand, the personal, family, and community impact of mass shootings in Texas by hearing from victims of mass violence in Dallas, Santa Fe, Sutherland Springs, El Paso, and Midland/Odessa.”

In August, a gunman killed seven people and wounded 25 others on a shooting spree before law enforcement closed in and killed the suspect. 22 people were killed and 20 were injured in an attack at an El Paso Walmart less than a month prior.

Following those incidents in West Texas, the state’s House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the formation of a committee in each chamber in order to address mass violence prevention and community safety. Gov. Greg Abbott also created a domestic terrorism task force and the Texas Safety Commission to bring community members, lawmakers and security experts together to identify ways to better protect Texans.

The committee is also tasked with looking into the roles social media and guns play in public safety.

The Senate panel’s next hearing is scheduled for Monday in El Paso.