The National Rifle Association has taken aim at former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords just as she is seeking to push for bipartisan legislation on gun safety . Giffords spoke on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and called for expanded criminal background checks on all commercial firearms sales including at gun shows and internet sales . 'Gabby Giffords : Everyone Should Have to Pass Background Check My Attacker Passed , ' tweeted the NRA , which is n't in favor of the legislation , in response on Thursday . Scroll down for video . Giffords spoke on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and called for expanded criminal background checks on all commercial firearms sales including at gun shows and internet sales . The tweet , sent to the organization 's 264,000 followers , included a link to an article published on the right-wing Breitbart website that argued that background checks do n't reduce gun violence . Giffords was shot in the head in an assassination attempt by crazed gunman Jared Loughner . He murdered six and wounded 18 other people , including Giffords , when he opened fire at an event near Tucson , Arizona in 2011 . The tweet , sent to the organization 's 264,000 followers , included a link to an article published on the right-wing Breitbart website that argued that background checks do n't reduce gun violence . The story noted that Loughner had passed a background check . 'Stopping violence takes courage , ' said Giffords on Wednesday . 'Now is the time to come together and be responsible . Democrats , Republicans , everyone . We must never stop fighting . ' Giffords won a tremendous amount of public sympathy and admiration for her brave fightback from serious injury and up until now the NRA has refrained from attacking her . Several lawmakers have blasted the NRA over its tweet mocking Giffords . NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre is n't in favor of Giffords legislation calling for expanded criminal background checks . 'Gabby Giffords is a fighter , ' Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , a friend of Giffords , told The Daily News . 'Personal attacks on Twitter are not going to stop her from working hard every single day to pass common sense gun safety laws that save lives . ' 'The NRA 's brazen response is as predictable as it is pathetic , ' said Rep. Kathleen Rice , who is among the co-sponsors of the bill . She called the attack 'blatant fear-mongering and desperate intimidation ' aimed at derailing common-sense laws . Supporters of the law say that even though the likes of Loughner passed background checks , a uniform federal requirement would help stop many other dangerous people from buying gun and reduce gun violence rates . 'No one can deny the fact that it will help prevent violent criminals from buying guns , ' Rice said .
Giffords spoke on Thursday calling for expanded criminal background checks on all commercial firearms sales . The NRA tweeted a link on Wednesday to a story which argued that background checks do n't reduce gun violence and mocked Giffords . She was shot in the head by a crazed gunman in 2011 by Jared Loughner , who had passed a background check . Up until now the NRA has refrained from attacking Giffords over her gun safety attempts since she almost died . Rep. Kathleen Rice , who is among the co-sponsors of the bill , called the NRA 's response as pathetic .