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The NRA's convention starts in Houston, where Republicans
including U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and former President
Donald Trump are scheduled to address the gun-rights group.
Abbott will now address the group with recorded video remarks
and will make a return trip to Uvalde, NBC News said on
Thursday, citing a statement from his spokesman. He will hold a
news conference there after a meeting with state and local
officials, as well as town residents.
The recent shootings have re-ignited a national debate over U.S.
gun laws, with the Uvalde massacre coming just 10 days after an
avowed white supremacist shot 13 people at a supermarket in a
mostly Black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York.
President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats have vowed to push for
new gun restrictions, despite resistance from Republicans. Biden
is due to travel to Uvalde on Sunday.
Abbott, who is seeking re-election in November, has said that
stringent gun laws do not prevent violence, citing states such
as New York, and that policymakers should instead focus on
mental health treatment and prevention.
Both the NRA and Abbott's office did not respond to requests for
comment outside regular business hours.
(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh
Lawson)
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