NRA Breaks Silence on Philando Castile Death -- After Nudge From TheWrap

Two days after the death of Philando Castile, the National Rifle Association addressed the shooting on Friday, following some prodding from TheWrap over the group’s stance on the killing by police of the reportedly legally-armed Minnesotan.

The gun-rights organization’s statement came via its Twitter account, little more than an hour after we left an unreturned voicemail for an NRA spokesman.

“As the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization, the NRA proudly supports the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms for defense of themselves and others regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation,” the statement reads. “The reports from Minnesota are troubling and must be thoroughly investigated.”

Also Read: The NRA Started Tweeting Again As Soon As We Asked Why They Stopped

In the meantime, the group said it won’t comment on the ongoing investigation.

The reports from #Minnesota are troubling and must be thoroughly investigated. #2A #NRA pic.twitter.com/Z7wEQNBs0y

— NRA (@NRA) July 8, 2016

“Rest assured, the NRA will have more to say once all the facts are known,” the group added.

A mushy statement perhaps, but it’s more than the group’s Twitter feed has had to say on the topic since the shooting took place on Wednesday.

Also Read: Robert Greenwald on Risky NRA Documentary: 'Only Way to Avoid Danger Was Not to Do It' (Video)

The message was posted shortly after TheWrap reached out for comment on reports that Castile may have had a permit to legally carry a gun. (While Castile’s fiancée said in a video documenting the shooting that he was licensed to carry a firearm, the New York Times reported that authorities were unable to confirm a permit.)

Castile was reportedly pulled over for a broken taillight. What did the NRA think about a citizen with a legal right to carry a firearm being gunned down by police during a traffic stop?

While a spokesman for the organization has not yet responded to our inquiry, now we know. Sort of. After a little coaxing.

Also Read: Samantha Bee Rips NRA After Orlando: 'Yes, I Do Want to Take Those Guns Away' (Video)

It’s not as though the NRA’s Twitter account has been inactive in the days since Castile’s shooting. On Friday morning, following Thursday night’s fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas, NRA vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre issued a statement that read, in part, “I want to express the deep anguish all of us feel for the heroic Dallas law enforcement officers who were killed and wounded, as well as to those who so bravely ran toward danger to defend the city and the people of Dallas.”

It’s anyone’s guess as to whether that statement came after prompting from an outside party.

11 Hollywood Stars in the NRA: From Chuck Norris to James Earl Jones (Photos)

The National Rifle Association has stood up for gun owners for years, but come under heavy criticism for opposing gun control after mass shootings from San Bernardino to Orlando. Some celebrity members of the group have stood by it, while others have distanced themselves from certain stances.
Arguably the most famous Hollywood star associated with the NRA was Charlton Heston, who served as its president from 1998 to 2003 before stepping down after an Alzheimers diagnosis. (He died in April 2008.)
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Rock musician Ted Nugent is one of the NRA's most outspoken members. In January 2015, on the organization's radio show, he called NRA opponents "subhuman mongrels" and "some kind of inbred Martian."
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NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone is an avid hunter and has served on the NRA Board. But he angered some gun owners when he spoke to Sports Illustrated about those who buy guns for their protection: "The big picture is that guns won't protect you. If someone really wanted to get you, they would."
"Walker, Texas Ranger" star Chuck Norris has a long history as an avid NRA spokesperson, creating videos supporting the Second Amendment and NRA initiatives including the "Trigger The Vote" campaign.
Actor Tom Selleck got into a heated debate with Rosie O'Donnell in 1999 when she questioned him about being a member of the NRA. In 2013, shortly after the Sandy Hook school shootings, MSNBC pundit Lawrence O'Donnell said that it was time to "question Selleck's humanity" after the actor's silence on the matter.
In 2014, an online petition circulated demanding the Glastonbury music festival remove Metallica from the schedule because its frontman, James Hetfield, is an NRA member with a history of hunting. Hetfield narrated the History Channel series "The Hunt," about a trek to Kodiak, Alaska, to kill brown bears. When it comes to gun control, however, Hetfield said in 2013: "I don’t want to make it easier for someone to have an assault weapon, but I also want to be able to protect my family."
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In 2012, Whoopi Goldberg revealed on "The View" that she is a member of the NRA during an interview with libertarian writer and TV pundit John Stossel. "I don’t mind having to register and let them know that I have them," Goldberg said. "I want to know that there’s at least some way to prevent folks who are just getting out from mental institutions [from getting guns].”
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James Earl Jones wrote about being a NRA member in his 1993 self-titled autobiography: "I just throw the political mail from the NRA into the trash ... When it comes to the right-wing politics of the NRA, I don’t get into that. I just believe in my right to have a gun in my house.”
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After the Sandy Hook school shootings in December 2012, West Coast Choppers founder Jesse James wrote a Facebook post supporting the NRA and objecting to gun control laws in some states. "People that should not have guns will still find a way to get them. Please join the NRA now," he wrote.
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Country singer Miranda Lambert is a lifetime NRA member and an outspoken gun rights advocate. At the 2016 American Country Music awards, she showed up on the red carpet sporting pink stilettos with a tiny gun and holster strapped to the front.
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In a 2002 interview with The Guardian, director Michael Moore talked about how he got a NRA lifetime membership as part of a stunt for his documentary, "Bowling For Columbine." He mentioned he had planned to run against Charlton Heston for the group's presidency, but gave up on the plan. The NRA president is voted on by board members, rather than the entire organization.
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Some famous members are strongly against gun control, while others have distanced themselves from the group’s most extreme stances

The National Rifle Association has stood up for gun owners for years, but come under heavy criticism for opposing gun control after mass shootings from San Bernardino to Orlando. Some celebrity members of the group have stood by it, while others have distanced themselves from certain stances.

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11 Hollywood Stars in the NRA: From Chuck Norris to James Earl Jones (Photos)

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