NRA director expected to speak on school massacre

The nation will observe a moment of silence, and church bells will ring in many states The NRA is to speak on the Sandy Hook shooting Friday Adam Lanza's burial has been put off; his mother was interred Thursday Three 6-year-old victims were buried Thursday

(CNN) -- Across the nation Friday morning, church bells will toll. Flags will fly at half-staff. Many websites will go offline. And office workers and homemakers, students and nursing home residents, Americans in at least 29 states will stop whatever they're doing to remember the lives snatched when a gunman burst into a Connecticut elementary school exactly a week ago and rained hell.

Alaska, Massachusetts and South Carolina are among states that have declared a moment of silence for 9:30 a.m., marking the hour one week ago that the gunman forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and shot 20 students, six adults then himself dead in Newtown.

Adam Lanza had killed his mother before arriving at the school.

A little over an hour later, one group that has kept mum through all the calls for gun control will break its silence: the National Rifle Association.

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Mourners, including Boy Scout and Tiger Scout members, depart the funeral on December 20, 2012. Wheeler was a member of Tiger Scout Den 6. Boy scouts salute as a funeral procession for Benjamin Wheeler enters the Trinity Episcopal Church on December 20, in Newtown, Connecticut. Firefighters salute as the casket of Daniel Barden, 7, a victim of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, is removed from St. Rose of Lima Church on Wednesday, December 19, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut. Police escort the hearse bearing the casket of Daniel Barden from St. Rose of Lima Church on December 19. Mourners enter St. Rose of Lima Church for the funeral of Charlotte Bacon, 6, on December 19, in Newtown. A police officer directs traffic as mourners enter the church for Charlotte Bacon's funeral on December 19. A procession arrives for the funeral of Victoria Soto, 27, at Lordship Community Church in Stratford, Connecticut, on December 19. Soto was a first-grade teacher being hailed as a hero for protecting the children in her class during last week's school massacre in Newtown. A woman carries a program with Soto's photo after attending a funeral for the slain teacher in Stratford on December 19. Bagpipers play at funeral services for Soto on December 19 in Stratford. Richard and Krista Rekos leave after a funeral service for their 6-year-old daughter, Jessica, at Saint Rose of Lima Church on Tuesday, December 18, in Newtown. Jessica was one of 20 children killed in last week's school shooting. Family and friends depart Jessica's funeral on December 18 in Newtown. A child stands next to a makeshift memorial for Jessica Rekos following her funeral on December 18. Pallbearers carry out James Mattioli's casket at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church after a funeral Mass on December 18 in Newtown. James, 6, was one of the 26 victims in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Mourners console each other after the funeral for James Mattioli on December 18. People arrive for the funeral of Jessica Rekos, 6, at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church in Newtown on December 18. Jessica Rekos' casket arrives at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church as mourners gather December 18. Mourners console each other after attending the funeral for Jack Pinto, 6, on December 17. Mourners grieve the death of Jack Pinto, 6, on December 17. A mother and two children attend the funeral for Jack Pinto on December 17. Children are among those crowding the funeral for the 6-year-old boy. A man comforts a young mourner at Honan Funeral Home while attending the funeral for Jack Pinto, 6, on December 17. Boys enter Honan Funeral Home before Jack Pinto's funeral on December 17 in Newtown. Veronika Pozner, mother of Noah Pozner, arrives for her son's funeral on Monday, December 17, at the Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home in Fairfield, Connecticut. Monday is the first day of funerals for the 20 children and seven adults who were killed by 20-year-old Adam Lanza on December 14. Three women embrace as they arrive for the funeral services for Noah Pozner on December 17. Mourners arrive at Noah Pozner's service in Fairfield on December 17. Mourners leave Noah Pozner's service on December 17 in Fairfield. 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The NRA news conference with executive director Wayne LaPierre will begin at 10:45 a.m.

The gun rights organization had initially deactivated its Facebook page, stopped tweeting on its Twitter account and had been issuing a "no comment" to any media outlet, including CNN, seeking a response.

But late Tuesday, the group broke that silence with a statement:

"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 group said. Both their Facebook and Twitter presences became active again.

Despite the relative silence early on from the powerful lobbying group's offices in Fairfax, Virginia, the organization is regrouping in anticipation of a massive legislative push for gun control legislation, a gun policy expert said.

Kristin Goss, an associate professor of public policy and political science at Duke University and author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America," said that strategy is part of the organization's playbook after an incident such as this one.

After such a terrifying event, when there is a national outcry, the NRA typically lays low, Goss said.

"They're used to seeing this cycle express condolences and hope the attention will shift to a new issue."

Governors show support

But for now, the nation's attention still seems focused on Sandy Hook, where investigations into the crime are expected to continue for weeks to come.

The national outpouring of sympathy over the deaths continues, as three more victims are to be laid to rest Friday.

In a letter sent to other governors around the country, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy noted how the shooting in his state has resonated nationwide.

"Mourning this tragedy has extended beyond Newtown, beyond the borders of Connecticut, and has spread across the nation and the world," he said. "On behalf of the State of Connecticut, we appreciate the letters and calls of support that have been delivered to our state and to the family members during their hour of need."

Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma suggested residents wear green, Sandy Hook's school color, and in Alaska, the State Capitol's bell will ring at 9:30 a.m. local time. The bell is a full-scale replica of the Liberty Bell.

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Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have called for residents of their states to pause to reflect one week after the shooting rampage. Perry also asked that churches ring their bells 26 times in honor of the victims at the school.

The states honoring a moment of silence are Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

President Barack Obama ordered flags to half-staff last Friday after the shooting. Flags will also fly at half-staff this Friday.

Some websites will go dark at the urging of Silicon Valley venture capitalist Ron Conway, who came up with the idea at a Christmas party attended by Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting that killed six.

Obama starts gun control debate

Obama will take part in the moment of silence Friday, a White House spokesman said. On Thursday, his administration put into motion an effort to change U.S. gun laws.

Vice President Joe Biden met with Cabinet members and law enforcement leaders at the White House to start formulating what Obama called "real reforms right now."

More than 195,000 people have signed an online White House petition supporting new gun control legislation.

A slight majority of Americans favor major restrictions on guns: 52%, up five points from a survey taken in August after the July shooting inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, where 12 people died, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday.

Carloads of teenagers from a Minnesota school that suffered a mass shooting in 2005 headed toward Newtown on Thursday to offer their support.

Also Thursday, burials were held for three children and two teachers.

More than 2,200 miles west of Newtown, Ogden, Utah, the hometown of shooting victim Emilie Parker, was festooned with pink ribbons as her parents brought her body back for burial.

"This sucks -- there's no reason for us to be here tonight," her father, Robbie Parker, told friends and well-wishers at a memorial service Thursday night. "And I'm so thankful for everybody that's here."

His voice trailed off as he struggled for composure. Seeing the pink -- his slain daughter's favorite color -- made him and his wife, Alissa, "feel like we were getting a big hug from everybody."

Also buried Thursday, at an undisclosed location, was Nancy Lanza, the shooter's mother, who he killed before the school rampage, said Donald Briggs, a friend of the family who grew up with her in Kingston, New Hampshire.

Plans had not been finalized for the burial of the gunman, her son, Adam.

Three 6-year-olds were among those buried Thursday: Allison Wyatt, who loved to draw and wanted to be an artist; Benjamin Wheeler, who loved the Beatles; and red-haired Catherine Hubbard, who loved animals.