Screen Shot/NRA American Rifleman magazine The magazine spread in the March issue of American Rifleman, published by the NRA.

The National Rifle Association is being pelted with criticism after posting the astounding headline “Target Practice” in its magazine next to a photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a shooting victim.

The furor erupted Saturday after HuffPost senior politics reporter Jennifer Bendery tweeted a screenshot of the magazine spread that appeared in American Rifleman, which is published by the gun lobbyist organization. The article examines Democrats’ efforts to strengthen gun control, claiming that legislators are attempting to “target gun owners for persecution.” (One Twitter response characterized that phrase as a built-in excuse for the NRA to use in the face of aghast reactions to the headline.)

The large headline for the article “Target Practice” is next to a photo prominently featuring Pelosi. Giffords stands next to her. Giffords suffered catastrophic injuries in 2011 when she was shot in the head at a Tucson mall where she was speaking to constituents. Six people were killed in the gunman’s attack.

Giffords later founded a political action committee supporting gun control. Her husband, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, is now running for the Arizona Senate seat formerly held by the late John McCain.