they issued a public statement of sympathy and then sent out their most famous member: charlton heston. (cheers and applause) >> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> to this day, when i would look at charlton heston, i didn't see the president of the nra. i saw moses. you couldn't have picked a better caricature of who you wanted speaking with that stentorian voice of his. >> america must stop this predictable pattern of reaction. when an isolated, terrible event occurs, our phones ring, demanding that the nra explain the inexplicable. why us? because their story needs a villain. >> narrator: despite the shooting, the nra stayed focused on its core beliefs. >> the base of the national rifle association believes so strongly it's more a religion, or what a religion used to be. there's a passion involved in it. >> the nra is the closest thing that a membership group can have to just pure patriotism. they love their country. >> as long as there is a second amendment, evil can never conquer us, tyranny in any form can never find footing within a society of law-abiding, armed, ethical people.