NRA shooting game released for children 4 and up (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

One month to the day after the Newtown massacre, the National Rifle Association is taking heat for releasing a new shooting game for children as young as 4.

"NRA: Practice Range" is a new app for iPhones and iPads that allows users to practice shooting targets at three different shooting ranges with a variety of weapons, NBC News reported.

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The app is free, although players have to pay to unlock some of the weapons used.

Called the "NRA's new mobile nerve center," the game "strikes the right balance of gaming and safety education, allowing you to enjoy the most authentic experience possible," according to its iTunes description.

It's gotten three-and-a-half out of five stars, but has also drawn some scathing customer reviews calling for its removal.

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Critics are also questioning the timing of the game and accusing the NRA of hypocrisy after one of its leaders recently blamed video games for gun violence, according to ABC News.

"It's outrageous. The NRA never seems to be able to amaze me," Joel Faxon, a member of Newtown's Police Commission and longtime gun owner, told CNN.

"There's no reason that they can't espouse safe, effective, appropriate gun usage," he said. "Why do they have to come out with something like this at a time when the nerves and emotions are so raw in Sandy Hook?"

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