Gunmaker Behind Rifle Used In Uvalde Shooting Won’t Attend NRA Convention

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The gunmaker behind the rifle used by the killer in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, will not be at the NRA convention.

Daniel Defense will be sitting out the conference “due to the horrifying tragedy in Uvalde, Texas where one of our products was criminally misused,” spokesperson Steve Reed told multiple outlets. “We believe this week is not the appropriate time to be promoting our products in Texas at the NRA meeting.”

Salvador Ramos, 18, had a Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 rifle, according to Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), in carrying out the third-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, killing 19 students and two teachers. It costs less than $2,000.

Along with Daniel Defense, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX) and singers including Lee Greenwood will skip the convention, which is being held for the first time in two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Abbott will not attend in person but instead send a video message. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) will speak at the event.

Daniel Defense, which is based in Georgia, has given “more than $70,000 directly to GOP candidates for federal office this election cycle,” reported The Washington Post, citing FEC filings. The company has also come under fire for posting on Twitter a since-deleted picture of a kid holding a gun on his lap.