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The National Rifle Association on Sunday said it will "not politicize" the mass shootings that took place over the weekend, which left 29 people dead and 53 injured in El Paso and Dayton, but will "work in good faith" to end such massacres.

In the wake of the shootings, most of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates said they want to see new gun legislation, and specifically called the NRA out for its lobbying against any kind of gun control. In a statement, Andrew Arulanandam, managing director for NRA Public Affairs, said the organization's "deepest sympathies are with the families and victims of these tragedies," and "on behalf of our millions of members, we salute the courage of the first responders and others offering their services during this time."

The NRA, he continued, is "committed to the safe and lawful use of firearms by those exercising their Second Amendment freedoms. We will not participate in the politicizing of these tragedies but, as always, we will work in good faith to pursue real solutions that protect us all from people who commit these horrific acts." The statement was released after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted about the organization, saying the Senate is "intimidated by the NRA's power," and "does nothing" following mass shootings. "This must change," he added. "We need a president and Congress that listens to Americans, not the ideology of a right-wing extremist organization. We must pass common sense gun safety legislation."