The National Rifle Association on Tuesday issued its first statement since the Newtown, Conn., shootings last week, saying it fell silent out of respect and decencies for the families as well as to allow time for the investigation.

“The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters—and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown,” the statement reads. “Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting. The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.”

The NRA has scheduled a press conference for Friday.

Following the shooting deaths of 27 people—20 of whom were children—the NRA, which is the nation’s biggest gun lobby, offered “no comment” to media outlets, stopped tweeted, and shuttered its Facebook page.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the organization resumed its social media activity, tweeting a link to the statement as well as sharing it on Facebook, where nearly 4,000 people have left comments around the topic of gun control.

Meanwhile, President Obama is expected to make an announcement about gun control on Wednesday. He will reportedly call on Vice President Joe Biden to lead efforts to address gun control policy.