Following the Columbine shooting in April of 1999, top leaders of the National Rifle Association huddled in private to discuss their public response to the tragedy.

Secret tapes of those deliberations were obtained by NPR investigative correspondent Tim Mak. He explains what’s revealed in the tapes: that the group considered a much different stance than the one it ultimately took — a stance that would help set the stage for decades of debate about gun violence in America.

Tim Mak is also author of the book Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.