Gun manufacturer whose rifle was used in deadly Texas school shooting won't attend NRA conference in Houston

• The manufacturer of the gun used in Tuesday's Uvalde school shooting pulled out of an NRA event.
• Daniel Defense told Insider that it will no longer attend this weekend's conference in Houston.

The manufacturer of a gun used in Tuesday's deadly mass shooting at a Texas elementary school is pulling out of this weekend's NRA conference in Houston.

"Daniel Defense is not attending the National Rifle Association ("NRA") meeting due to the horrifying tragedy in Uvalde, Texas where one of our products was criminally misused," a company spokesperson confirmed to Insider in a statement.

It added: "We believe this week is not the appropriate time to be promoting our products in Texas at the NRA meeting."

The 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School bought a rifle manufactured by Daniel Defense before the massacre, according to reports.

After learning about the attack, the Georgia-based Daniel Defense said in a statement on its website that it will cooperate with local, state, and federal authorities in their investigations.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Texas this week," the company said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and community devastated by this evil act."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was slated to speak at the upcoming conference — less than 300 miles away from Uvalde — but will now be delivering a pre-recorded speech.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's office, however, announced that he would no longer be speaking at the NRA Convention breakfast.

Former President Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will both speak at the event.