Wayne LaPierre

Where Things Stand: The Dark, Familiar Parallels Found In The NRA Response To Columbine
This is your TPM evening briefing.

Just a few days after gunmen entered Columbine High School in 1999 and murdered 13 students and adults, the National Rifle Association found itself in a situation darkly similar to what we’re seeing play out this week.

At the time, the gun group had plans to hold their annual national gathering just a few days after the school shooting that rocked a generation of Americans. And it was set to take place a few miles away from the scene of the massacre, in Denver.

As is the case today, NRA leaders ultimately opted to carry on with the planned convention, concerned that canceling it would rob officials of the opportunity to own the organization’s response to the tragedy, which was the deadliest school shooting during that decade in America.

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on March 3, 2016 in Washington, DC.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 28:  Wayne LaPierre,  executive vice president and CEO of the NRA, speaks at the NRA-ILA's Leadership Forum at the 146th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits on April 28, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. The convention is the largest annual gathering for the NRA's more than 5 million members.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
on May 20, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.
on May 20, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.
INDIANAPOLIS STATE HOUSE, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, UNITED STATES - 2019/04/27: NRA members are seen checking out weapons and accessories during an exhibition.NRA members and leaders gather in Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual NRA Meeting where President Donald Trump and others spoke and attendees were able to view a multitude of exhibits featuring firearms, outdoors equipment, and shooting gear. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, UNITED STATES - 2019/04/27: Photos of NRA Chief Executive and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, (L), former president of the NRA Oliver North (M) and chief lobbyist and principal political strategist for the Institute for Legislative Action Chris Cox (R) are on display during the during the third day of the National Rifle Association convention being held nearby. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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