Keith Jehlen says the massacre at a Texas elementary school made him “sick,” but that “you can’t blame the gun” that killed 19 children and two instructors.

“We’ve always had weapons in this country,” said the 68-year-old retired US Postal Service employee, who owns more than 50 rifles himself.

Jehlen was waiting in line to hear former President Donald Trump speak at a National Rifle Association convention being held just hours from Uvalde, the town where the school shooting occurred earlier this week.

He grimaced as he reflected on the shooting, saying, “It made me sick to my stomach.” However, according to Jehlen, who was dressed in camouflage shorts and a Trump cap, weapons are not the issue. He claimed that if the students at the school had been armed, the calamity may have been avoided.

“Killers don’t fear the judge, and they don’t fear the cops,” he remarked. “They should be terrified of the person they’re pursuing.” The NRA event, which runs through Sunday, is being held in a large conference centre downtown, with anti-gun demonstrators gathered outside.

One protester’s sign read, “Blood is on your hands.” Another said, “Guns = death.”

Later in the day, when Trump addressed the convention, the audience erupted in cheers. He recounted the names of the victims of the Uvalde shooting in a solemn tone, urging Americans of all political stripes to “find common ground.” Despite this, he became politicised, slamming “repulsive” Democrats for demonising “peaceful, law-abiding” NRA members who possess weapons.

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Hundreds of firearms, from small pistols to AR-15s, the ubiquitous semi-automatic weapon used by the attacker in Uvalde, were on exhibit in booth after booth in the enormous convention hall, all made inactive with their firing pins removed.

Gun accessories such as high-power scopes, suppressors, and 60-round magazines shared space alongside tactical gear, hunting equipment, and clothes.

At the event, retired law enforcement officer Rick Gammon looked at a wall of black semi-automatic weapons and said that any attempt to take guns away from Americans will fail.

“You’ll never be able to take away people’s guns.” “This isn’t Australia,” Gammon, 51, remarked as he examined the Hellion weapons, a compact bullpup design he observed would fit nicely under his driver’s seat or in his house gun safe.

Following the massacre of 35 people in Port Arthur in April 1996, Australia passed stricter new gun rules, including a blanket prohibition on the use of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pump-action shotguns, save for particular uses.

America, despite being afflicted by considerably more frequent gun violence and having the right to have arms written in the Constitution, has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to the right to bear guns.

“I’d love to see universal background checks,” Gammon added, referring to a long-awaited change that has widespread support in the US. “However, it will not deter someone who is hell-bent on committing a crime.”