The National Rifle Association just gave gun control advocates all the ammo they need for the next few weeks.
A man accidentally shot himself at the NRA headquarters in Virginia, police told NBC News 4 on Friday. The victim, who sustained a minor injury on his “lower body,” was giving a firearms training on Thursday afternoon.
The 46-year-old was demonstrating gun safety at the organization’s National Firearms Museum in Fairfax when the incident occurred. Although he suffered no major damage, he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Police said no charges are expected. The NRA has not responded to NBC News 4’s request for comment and has not offered a statement on its website.
The accident is not great PR for the pro-gun organization. Lawmakers, including former President Barack Obama, have pushed for gun control in the past, especially after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school that left 20 students dead in 2012. The conversation was opened up again this past July when a man opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people.
The NRA has gotten more ambitious since Donald Trump took office. Back in November, the organization spoke out after Trump’s surprising election win: “This is our historic moment to go on offense.”
Gun nuts praised the NRA’s sales pitch in February, less than a month after Trump was inaugurated. The association’s CEO and executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, blasted the “violent left” and urged Americans to go out and buy guns for protection.
“The truth is, the far left — they’ve turned protesting into what seems like a full-time profession. Seriously, you would think that for $1,500 a week, they would at least know what they are protesting. Folks, our long nightmare — it may not be over. The face is, it may be just beginning. Right now, we face a gathering of forces that are willing to use violence against us.”
It seems LaPierre is mixing up who exactly will be enacting violence against who. At least for this week, an NRA employee is just hurting himself — with not a single evil left-winger in sight.
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