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Shannon Watts@shannonrwatts · Jan 26, 2026

In 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker and permitted gun owner, was fatally shot by a…

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Summary

In 2016, police officer Jeronimo Yanez fatally shot Philando Castile, a permitted gun owner, during a traffic stop in Minnesota. The officer was acquitted in 2017, and despite initial caution, the NRA and other conservative figures faced criticism for not more strongly defending Castile, with some claiming his marijuana possession or failure to raise his hands justified the shooting.

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  1. #1

    In 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker and permitted gun owner, was fatally shot by a Minnesota police officer as he reached for his driver license during a traffic stop. In 2017, the officer was acquitted on all charges. 🧵

  2. #2

    The Minneapolis officer who fatally shot Castile had attended a “Bulletproof Warrior” seminar, which asks the question: “Are you ready to kill?” thetrace.org/2020/06/warrio…

  3. #3

    Following the shooting, the NRA stated it would wait for more facts, which was heavily criticized given the organization's swift defense of other gun owners. The NRA later released a statement calling the incident "troublesome" but did not offer a full defense of Castile.

  4. #4

    However, then NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch claimed that because Castile was in possession of marijuana while carrying a firearm, his carry was unlawful, despite his permit. washingtonpost.com/news/post-nati…

  5. #5

    Megyn Kelly argued that the public “did not have all the facts” to make an assumption and suggested Castile may have threatened the officer. atlantablackstar.com/2018/07/02/how…

  6. #6

    Then NRA spokesman Grant Stinchfield claimed Castile deserved to be shot because he didn’t put his hands up.

    Shannon Watts@shannonrwatts · Jul 6, 2018

    Two years after the death of Philando Castile, the @NRA still hasn’t put out the statement it promised after finishing its “investigation.” However, Dana Loesch blamed the shooting on weed in his car and Grant Stinchfield said he didn’t put his hands up. washingtonpost.com/news/post-nati…

  7. #7

    And then-candidate Donald Trump described the video of the shooting as "tough to watch" but said we needed to support police, calling them "the best of our society.” abcnews.go.com/Politics/donal…