Father of Columbine victim draws similarities between 1999 shooting and Uvalde

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A National Rifle Association (NRA) convention being held this weekend in Houston is reminiscent of the 1999 NRA convention held in Denver less than two weeks after the Columbine school shooting in Littleton.

The NRA's annual meeting is set to begin Friday, just three days after an 18-year-old opened fire inside an elementary school killing 19 children and two teachers.

In 1999, the NRA went ahead and held a shortened version of its meeting in Denver roughly a week after twelve students and a teacher were killed at Columbine High School.

Thursday, KRDO spoke with Tom Mauser, the father of Danial Mauser who was killed during the April 20, 1999 attack. Back then, he protested the NRA convention that happened in the days following the shooting in Denver. He said history is now repeating itself with the protests planned in Houston this weekend.

"The NRA has a lot of impacts- a very lot of impact on the votes of members of congress. They could change things if they chose to - but right now it's about sales it's about money. That's really what it's about," Mauser said.

According to ABC News, by a 15-point margin, 56 to 46 percent of the public supported banning the sale of assault weapons in 2019. In another 2019 poll, 86 percent showed support for "red flag" laws. However, the Senate would still need 60 votes in favor to pass any new gun legislation.

"Red Flag" laws are already in place in Colorado and allow authorities to temporarily take guns away from people who are deemed to be dangerous.