Protests Swell at NRA Meeting in Houston After Texas School Shooting

National Rifle Association members at the group’s annual meeting Friday repeated their opposition to stronger gun-control measures as protesters outraged over the mass shooting at an elementary school four hours away said it was beyond time for action.

The political divide played out on opposite sides of the street in downtown Houston, as NRA members lined up to hear speeches from former President Donald Trump and other gun-rights advocates, while protesters at an adjacent park said the massacre of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, demanded new solutions.

Salvador Ramos, the 18-year-old identified by authorities as the shooter, had legally purchased two AR-15 style semiautomatic weapons within a week of his recent birthday, including the rifle used in the shooting, according to officials.

Outside the conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center, protester Kim Thundyil held a sign that read, “Had to be 18 just to buy markers.”

“Enough is enough. You have to take a test to drive a car,” said Ms. Thundyil, 47, of Houston, who added that it was her first time attending a protest.