1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

A 17-year-old is dead because Austin police shot a teenager carrying a water bottle — a water bottle they mistook for a gun. This is not an isolated tragedy. This is a pattern. Nolan Wells. Corey Ruiz. And now this child. I want to know exactly what you are doing to stop it. Racism in policing does not fix itself with statements of condolences or promises of review. The root has to be pulled out — through mandatory independent investigations of every officer-involved shooting, real consequences for the officers responsible, and structural reforms to how police across the United States are trained, deployed, and held accountable. What specific legislation are you prepared to carry or support? What oversight mechanisms will you fight for? These are not rhetorical questions. Black lives in this city are being ended by the people sworn to protect them, and the time for vague commitments to "reform" is long past.