The National Rifle Association will hold a press conference on Dec. 21 following new lobbying measures for stricter gun and rifle regulations in the aftermath of an elementary school shooting last week where 26 children and adults died.

The press conference Friday with NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre will begin at 10:45 a.m. ET/ 9:45 a.m. CT at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Across the nation Friday morning, people will take time to remember those that died exactly a week ago on Dec. 14 in Newton, Conn., where a gunman broke into the Sandy Hook Elementary School and went on a shooting rampage. Church bells will toll, flags will fly at half-staff, and Alaska, Massachusetts and South Carolina are among states that have declared a moment of silence for 9:30 a.m., which is the hour one week ago that Adam Lanza forced his way into the school and shot 20 students, six adults and then himself.

Friday's conference will be the first time the NRA has held a press conference since the shooting. A statement released on Tuesday said the NRA chose to stay silent in the days following the attack "Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency."

"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 read. "...We have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting."

Click here to watch online free live stream of the press conference.

Live streaming coverage is also available on the NRA Facebook page, NRA.org and NRANews.com.

A source told Fox News earlier this week that since the Netwton school shooting, membership for the NRA has increased and is continuing to do so. An insider at the NRA said that based on his access to internal memos from the association's membership division, since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the NRA has registered an average of 8,000 new members a day. The source also revealed that both the number of individual contributions to the NRA and their average amount have increased significantly since the school massacre.

LaPierre is also scheduled to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning.

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