At a press conference where he would not take questions from reporters, the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre said that gun control advocates have "exploited the tragedy for political gain", that every school should have armed security guards, and that the media is "complicit" in making it impossible to prevent school killings.

Too many in the national media … act as silent enablers and complicit co-conspirators. rather than face their own moral failures, the media demonized lawful gun owners, amplified their call for more laws, and fills the media with misinformation and dishonest thinking that ensures the next tragedy is only a news cycle away. … They don't know what they're talking about. It's time for us to assume responsibility for our schools. The only way to stop a monster is to be invested in a plan of absolute protection. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.