The normally vocal NRA fell silent on its Twitter and Facebook accounts following the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary that left 20 children and six adults dead in the second-deadliest school shooting ever. That all changed over night.
Since news spread of the horrific event Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn. Friday, the NRA hadn't said a peep. The association's Facebook page -- which celebrated 1.7 million fans Thursday -- disappeared entirely, it made no mention of the shooting on its website, none of its leaders spoke out to the media to support the Second Amendment, and it quit posting on all three of its Twitter accounts.
Friday 20-year-old Adam Lanza reportedly shot his mother, Nancy Lanza, packed at least three of her guns, and then drove her car to the Connecticut K-4 elementary school, opening fire in two classrooms around 9:30 a.m., police said. Police are still searching for a motive; witnesses said the shooter didn't utter a word.
According to police, the three guns used in the shooting were legally purchased and registered to his mother Nancy. Lanza reportedly primarily used a Bushmaster .223 assault rifle while on the rampage.
The last tweet from the NRA's main account had come at 9:36 a.m. Dec. 14. Shortly before news of the shooting broke, the account announced, "10 Days of NRA Giveaways - Enter today for a chance to win an auto emergency tool!"
Not long after outlets began reporting on the tragedy, the NRA's final post earned dozens of outraged responses.
"Can it help out with school shootings? RT," replied one user.
"So looks like @NRA and @NRANews are both still silent. Please stay that way in the political arena and let common sense prevail #GunControl," replied another.
However, late the evening of Dec. 18 the group finally gave a statement:
"The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters -- and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown. Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting. The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again," the group claimed.
The NRA added that it plans to hold "a major news conference" Friday, and that both its Facebook and Twitter accounts are once again active.
Some scholars say the organization hadn't commented on the tragedy strategically, because it wasn't required to do so yet.
According to Kristin Goss, an associate professor of public policy and political science at Duke University and author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America," the tactic is straight out of the group's playbook after an incident such as this one.
"The typical pattern is something horrific happens. There is a national outcry, mourning. People call for a national conversation on gun control. Gun rights proponents lay low," Goss said. "They're used to seeing this cycle express condolences and hope the attention will shift to a new issue."
According to CNN, most experts on the issue believe the NRA has remained silent because it is gearing up to throw itself into the ring over gun control.
"When the emotions come down, I'm sure you'll hear the NRA address this issue. It'll be in January when legislation is introduced. They'll testify at hearings. You'll hear the same kind of arguments that I'd come up with," said Richard Feldman, who served as regional political director for the NRA during the 1980s.
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