(WGHP) — Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson has issued a statement responding to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Robinson is scheduled to speak at an NRA leadership convention in Houston, Texas, about three hours away from Uvalde. Some have called on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to pull out of the speaking engagement or to consider asking the NRA to move the convention out of Texas entirely, including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke who publicly confronted the governor during a Wednesday news conference.

On Wednesday, WGHP asked Robinson for a statement about his speaking engagement with the NRA in light of the tragedy in Texas. He did not offer a direct answer to the question about the speaking engagement and instead focused on the shooting itself. His full statement is included below:

“The shooting in Uvalde, Texas was evil – pure and simple. The parents and family members who are without their loved ones and grieving – we are praying for you, and we grieve with you.

No parent should have to fear that when they drop off their child in the morning, they won’t be coming home that afternoon. As a father, I know the love a parent has for their child, and I can only imagine the pain of losing a child in such a horrendous event. Such a loss is beyond comprehension for those of us that have not experienced it.

Please join me in prayer for the victims of this tragedy, the community of Uvalde, and our nation.”

Statement from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor

The NRA convention, set to begin on Friday, will be held in Houston just three days after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

The docket of speakers for the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum includes Texas politicians like Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz, as well as former President Donald Trump.

North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson will be speaking at the convention Sunday morning at a “prayer breakfast.” The convention’s website also identifies him as an NRA board member.

The website states:

“NRA-ILA’s Annual Leadership Forum is one of the most politically significant and popular events in the country, featuring our nation’s top Second Amendment leaders in government, the media, and the entertainment industry.”

Only NRA members are permitted to attend, but admission is free for those members.