Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNews

NRA Releases Statement Regarding Dallas Police Ambush, Critics Blast Organization for Silence on #PhilandoCastile

Posted byBy Tanasia Kenney | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
Wayne LaPierre, left, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, speaks during the annual NRA convening. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Wayne LaPierre, left, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, speaks during an annual NRA convening. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Thursday night’s ambush on police officers in Dallas, TX had elected officials, celebrities, and citizens alike offering their condolences to the families of the officers killed – as well as to those of the men who suffered lethal violence at the hands of police over the last two days.

Also sending messages of sympathy was infamous gun rights group the National Rifle Association (NRA), whose Vice President and CEO, Wayne LaPierre, tweeted a statement early Thursday morning.

Emotions are raw as the country continues to mourn the deaths of two Black men killed by police; Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Sterling was gunned down by officers in the early hours of July 5th as he sold CD’s and DVDs in front of a local Baton Rouge convenience store. The Louisiana man was reportedly armed, as cops retrieved a gun from his front pants pocket.

Captured in graphic detail by his girlfriend’s cell phone camera, Castile was shot at point-blank range by a Minnesota cop who had stopped the couple for a busted tail light. Before he was fatally shot, the 32-year-old reportedly informed the officer he was armed but had a concealed carry permit. The officer subesquently fired four shots into the couple’s car as Castile reached for his identification.

As the NRA expressed its condolences, many couldn’t help but notice the group’s failure to mention the unwarranted shooting of Castile, who was a licensed gun owner. Even before the police ambush in Dallas, the gun rights group remained tight-lipped on fatal incident involving the Minnesota man.

Critics have since taken to Twitter to rip the organization for its seemingly biased response and lack of support for the rights of African-American gun owners. Some of the NRA’s own members were even outraged at the group’s failure to mention Castile’s name.

https://twitter.com/ZaidJilani/status/751199302597251073

Referring to itself as the “largest and oldest civil rights organization” in America, the NRA later issued another statement directly referencing the Minnesota shooting, but still didn’t mention Castile’s name.

Instead, the group said it will wait for a thorough investigation of the “troubling” matter before they make any comments on Castile’s death.

Independent journalism doesn't fund itself.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top