State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly isn't just defending his decision to hold a fundraiser at a Waukesha County gun range one day after the Molson Coors shooting in Milwaukee last week.

Kelly is doubling down.

On Tuesday, his campaign sent out a fundraising solicitation attacking those who criticized the justice, a conservative appointed by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, over the timing of the gun range fundraiser.

The email, written by campaign manager Charles Nichols, explained that the fundraiser was hosted by the Wisconsin Firearms Training Center. Nichols wrote the Brookfield shooting range "dedicates itself to providing our fellow Wisconsinites with the tools and training necessary to protect themselves and their families."

Nichols said Kelly's opponent, liberal Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky, and her allies were making a big deal out of the fact the fundraiser came so soon after the mass shooting. Kelly and Karofsky face off next month.

Last week, 51-year-old Anthony Ferrill shot and killed five co-workers at Molson Coors brewery before killing himself. It was the largest mass shooting in the Milwaukee area since 2012. The fundraiser was held about 26 hours later.

"This is not just an attack on Justice Kelly, this is an attack on everyone who cares about protecting themselves and the innocent people around them," Nichols wrote.

"With a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, or more today," he continued, "you can send a powerful message to Judge Karofsky’s allies that you stand with the brave and courageous people who protect themselves and the innocents around them."

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The folks at the state Republican Party followed that up with a news release in which it turned the criticism of the fundraiser into an attack on gun owners.

"By launching such a distasteful attack, Karofsky’s allies apparently believe responsible gun-owners and mass murderers are one and the same," said the GOP release.

Of course, Karofsky and her supporters pushed back immediately.

Alanna Conley, spokeswoman for the Dane County judge's campaign, said the judge and her team are praying for the victims in last week's shooting and working to find solutions to the widespread problem of mass shootings.

Conley added Karofsky will uphold the U.S. Constitution and relevant case law, including the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said the right to bear arms is an individual right, not a collective one. Karofsky had said earlier that she believes that ruling, known as the Heller decision, still allowed communities to pass some gun control measures.

"It’s unfortunate that our politics have descended to this point," Conley said.

Courtney Beyer of the state Democratic Party was more succinct: "We wish Dan Kelly cared about gun violence as much as he does fundraising."

Kelly's response is reminiscent of the way that Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn handled criticism of his past blog posts in which he said a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law could lead to the legalization of bestiality.

Then-candidate Hagedorn argued that the criticism was actually an attack on his religious beliefs. He is an evangelical Christian.

At the Kelly fundraiser, hosts could give at three levels, including $5,000 for the "50 Cal M2HB" level, a reference to a Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun.

A $2,500 donation put a supporter at the "25 ACP" level, named for a semi-automatic .25 caliber handgun. A $1,000 donation was the "10 mm" level, referring to a different semi-automatic handgun.

Contributors had the option to shoot at the range and could complete a background check before the fundraiser.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.