Exactly how many dead Texans does it take for Gov. Greg Abbott to actually do something about the epidemic of gun violence sweeping his state? So far, no body count is too big for our governor, who seems determined to do exactly nothing.

We Texans love to swagger, brag and boast that we are biggest, most and first. In the uniquely American horror story of mass shootings, we are closing in on all three.

With Saturday’s mass murder in the West Texas city of Odessa, Texas has now had more casualties from major mass shootings than any state except Nevada.

For years, some legislators have demanded that the governor lead the charge to pass new gun laws in Texas; he did, as Texas actually loosened restrictions on gun ownership with eight new laws, allowing guns everywhere from schools to foster homes and churches. These new laws took effect just hours after seven people were killed and at least 21 were wounded while shopping in Odessa, the oil and gas capital of Texas. The bloodshed in the city of 116,000 included three seriously wounded police officers and a toddler, shot in the shoulder, her face sprayed with shrapnel.