OPN TEXAS SHOOTING
A girl cries, comforted by two adults, outside the Willie de Leon Civic Center where grief counseling will be offered in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. Image Credit: AFP

Washington: The National Rifle Association, the most powerful gun lobby in the United States, on Wednesday said the Texas school shooter was a “lone, deranged criminal” as it faced fresh criticism for promoting the rights of gun owners.

The NRA said it was committed to “making our schools secure” in a brief statement that expressed sympathy for the victims but did not address that the 18-year-old gunman had been able to legally buy the assault rifle used in the mass shooting.