AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Can you carry a gun inside of a mall in Texas? The simple answer: It depends.
KXAN took these questions to legal and firearms expert John Wilkerson, with the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA), following Thursday's shooting inside the Lakeline Mall in Cedar Park.
"Technically speaking you're not required to have a license to carry a firearm into that mall unless they have a sign posted," Wilkerson said.
But not just any sign, it has to be similar to the one in the photo below.
These signs are referred to as "30.06" or "30.07" signs.
"30.06 is you cannot carry your concealed handgun in here, even if you have a license. And 30.07 is you cannot open carry in here unless you have a license," Wilkerson said.
KXAN asked the Lakeline Mall Friday what its official firearms policy is, and a spokesperson did not directly answer that question but released the below statement instead.
The safety and security of our shoppers, retailers, and employees is our highest priority. We are committed to maintaining a strong security program that includes numerous measures in addition to staying in close collaboration with local law enforcement. Although this was an isolated incident, out of an abundance of caution, additional security will be deployed at the center.
Lakeline Mall
At the mall, a "Code of Conduct" sign is displayed, but KXAN staff did not see any of the official signs citing Texas penal code.
Number three on the list says "no weapons."
KXAN asked Wilkerson if this holds any legal value.
"No it does not," he said. "The statute is pretty clear. You have to use their language or substantively similar language.
Some general limitations exist, like having to be at least 21 to carry in public or being required to have your gun in a holster if you're open-carrying. As of Friday afternoon, police had not released information on the Lakeline Mall suspect's exact age and/or how he was carrying his firearm, so it is unclear at this point whether he legally brought the gun inside.
The below chart, created by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, explains the general laws regarding carrying firearms. "UCW" stands for "unlawful carrying of a weapon."
There is also something called the 51% law, which requires any business that makes at least 51% of its revenue from alcohol sales to display a specific sign - separate from the ones we mentioned earlier in this article - prohibiting alcohol on the premises. Compared to the 30.06 and 30.07 signs - which are optional - 51% signs are required. You've likely seen them displayed outside of Texas bars.
Wilkerson said you also cannot carry a firearm into a hospital or within 1,000 feet of a facility where someone is being executed for 24 hours before or after the execution.
Private institutions of higher learning are allowed to prohibit firearms on campus, but public colleges and universities are not, Wilkerson said. He added that public schools, like UT, can prohibit firearms in certain spots on campus, but not on campus as a whole.
Wilkerson said if you do carry a gun into a prohibited location, you're subject to being arrested for criminal trespass.
