A spokesman for Black Creek-based Daniel Defense said Thursday the company was “deeply saddened by the tragic events in Texas this week” amid reports a teen who went into an elementary school Tuesday and shot and killed 19 children and two adults used a weapon manufactured by the company.  

Another 17 people were reportedly injured during the shooting. The teen, Salvadore Ramos, 18, was shot and killed inside the elementary school classroom by local law enforcement.  

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and community devastated by this evil act,” said Steve Reed, Daniel Defense’s vice president for marketing. “As reported in Governor Abbott’s press conference, it is our understanding that the firearm used in the attack was manufactured by Daniel Defense. We will cooperate with all federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in their investigations. We will keep the families of the victims and the entire Uvalde community in our thoughts and our prayers.” 

Daniel Defense, which manufactures AR-15 style semiautomatic weapons, has had a facility in the Interstate Centre in Black Creek since 2008 after moving his company from Garden City. It expanded to its present facility in 2018. 

 In October, 2017, the company acknowledged that at least one of its firearms was spotted among a number of firearms in the Las Vegas hotel room of a Stephen Paddock, who used a number of weapons on Oct. 1 to fire on concert-goers from the room, killing 59 and injuring more than 520 people. It was unclear whether a Daniel Defense weapon use used in that shooting.

Flags were ordered to fly at half staff by President Joe Biden following the shooting.

Education Week magazine reported Wednesday there have been 27 school shootings so far this year, with 83 deaths.