Here’s what we know about the 2022 annual meeting.
Where is the meeting?
The leadership forum will be held in Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, the same location it was going to be at last September for the 2021 annual meeting.
Who can attend the meeting?
Who are this year’s speakers?
Friday’s meeting will feature remarks from eight people, including NRA head Wayne LaPierre and Jason Ouimet, the executive director of the group’s lobbying arm, according to the event website.
In addition to Trump, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, also a Republican, are also scheduled to speak at Friday’s meeting. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, both Republicans, will also deliver remarks.
What are the security measures?
The NRA said that because Trump will be at the event, the US Secret Service “will take control of the General Assembly Hall and have magnetometers in place before entry.”
What has happened since the 2019 meeting?
The NRA condemned the shooting in a statement Wednesday, calling it a “horrific and evil crime.”
“Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal,” the group said. “As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”
The massacre is the deadliest shooting at a school since the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut in 2012 that left 26 people dead, including 20 children aged between 6 and 7 years old.
What happened at the last annual meeting?
The meeting was also notable because then-NRA President Oliver North told members during it that he would not be renominated president of the group following a dispute with LaPierre. The announcement was made in a letter in which North said he hoped he would be renominated for a second term but, “I am now informed that will not happen.”
Already a controversial figure due to his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal, North joined the NRA at a critical juncture for it as it responded to renewed calls for gun control in the wake of the 2017 school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
This story has been updated with a statement from the NRA.
CNN’s Ariane de Vogue, Sonia Moghe, Jeremy Diamond, Maegan Vazquez and Nikki Carvajal contributed to this report.
www.cnn.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism