Amid mounting anger over the National Rifle Association convention held in Houston three days after 19 children and two adults were shot dead at a school in Uvalde, Texas, Gov. Greg Abbottwithdrew from speaking in person at the gun lobby event.
Abbott was still due to address the NRA by video, while visiting Uvalde, to the west of Houston in south Texas, and holding a press conference there.
The Republican governor was at a political fundraiser on Tuesday, the day the shooting occurred. His staff said he would suspend all political activities.
On Wednesday, Abbott and others gave a briefing about Uvalde, and they were confronted by Beto O Rourke, the Democratic candidate for governor.
O Rourke, who is strongly pro-gun control and spoke memorably during his unsuccessful run for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president of the US president about banning military-style assault rifles, told Abbott on Tuesday s mass killing: This is on you. Abbott's lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, withdrew from speaking to the NRA on Friday, saying that he did not want to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde. Other prominent Republicans to withdraw included Dan Crenshaw, a congressman and Senator John Cornyn. Cornyn is involved in negotiations in Washington over gun law reform, although a spokesman said his withdrawal was for personal reasons.
Prominent Republicans who are still planning to speak to the NRA included former president Donald Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and the governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem.
Cruz has maintained a high profile since the shooting, repeating gun lobby talking points and angrily clashing with a reporter who asked about gun reform.
The Uvalde shooting has drawn national debate on America's long and expensive failure to pass legislative reform to curb gun violence.
Joe Biden, who has strongly condemned the lack of action, will visit Uvalde on Sunday.
On Thursday, the White House press secretary, Karin Jean-Pierre, said that the NRA was not trying to solve the problem by helping market weapons of war to young adults. Uvalde gunman was 18. After legally purchasing two AR-15 assault rifles and a large amount of ammunition, he shot his grandmother before going to school. His grandmother survived.
Ashton P Woods, founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, told the Guardian this week that these people are coming into our community. The city of Houston needs to kick them out. Rocky Marshall, a former NRA board member, said that the meeting should not be cancelled because of the Uvalde shooting.
He said that by throwing rocks at the NRA that doesn't solve the next mass shooting. Throwing rocks at people that hate guns doesn't solve the next mass shooting. The NRA says the victims and families of Uvalde have its deepest sympathies but its convention, and the presence of Trump and Cruz in particular, is expected to spark passions already enflamed.
Trump said America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship. I will keep my longtime commitment to speak at the NRA convention in Texas and deliver an important address to America.